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Golden Privet, how far can I cut it back?
Hello again! Two posts on my first day here, taking liberties I know I know!
I have a hedge between. Mine and my neighbors garden (on my side - it's mine) which I believe is golden privet (It looks like privet and is mostly yellow) which is about 3' high and in places nearly as wide if not wider. I would like to reclaim some garden for boarder / apple tree space / strawberry space.
How viciously can I hack it back? Obviously on the inside it just looks like dead wood When you get past the outer 6" of yellow / green foliage. If I took it back by a foot or a foot and a half would it grow back or would I end up with a dead brown hedge and a kicking from the boss?
Cheers.
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No limit on the posts John, if there were I'd have been bounced off here years ago
If it is privet then you can cut it back as hard as you like and it will regrow ....... but let us just check that it is privet ... can you post a photo of it for us?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thats the best I can find on my phone while I'm supposedly working...
That looks like golden privet to me.
I would check it thoroughly to make sure there's no nesting activity going on yet ... liif there is you'll haveto wait until autumn as it's strictly illegal to disturb nesting birds.
If it's all clear then cut it back ... clear any weeds out of the base (makings sure you don't disturb any hibernating hedgehogs ... they love hedge bottoms ... and give the hedge a feed of Fish Blood and Bone sprinkled around the root area according to the pack instructions. It'll soon leaf up again.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I think all the birds around here neat in the enormous conifer at the end of the garden, and judging by the slug and snail population in my garden there isn't a hedgehog within a hundred miles mores the shame. I will give it a good check before I set to it with the trimmer however!
i intend to take it back buy a good foot if not more, any idea how long it'll take to leaf back up so I can forestall any complaints?!
It should be looking better than ever by high summer if not beore
If not, you can blame me
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I did the same to our golden privet hedge but it's taken two years to thicken up and look better. I think it was worth it as a slimmer hedge is easier to cut.