Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Taking out dwarf Box hedging

Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
in Problem solving
I'm pondering whether to remove the majority of my dwarf box hedging as I'm now finding it increasingly difficult to prune it. If I cut it all down to the ground, instead of digging it out (which I can't do) is it likely to re-grow?  Has anybody any experience with this please?

North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Why don't you advertise it on Freecycle or some other local website as free to anyone who wants to come and dig it out and take it away.   You'd have to wait till autumn to give the new owners a better chance of succeeding with re-planting but it would be otherwise effortless.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I know Chris Beardshaw,  cut his box down hard to rejuvenate it, after a lot of damage from blight and box moth. It is re-growing. (It was on Beechgrove) Not sure he cut it right to ground tho.
    AB Still learning

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Thanks for that suggestion @Obelixx. I had thought of that solution as I've also got 6 big box balls to dispose of but all of it is now probably 10 years old or so and about 18" high so didn't think they would survive replanting. I am  also a bit apprehensive about the nearby planting, including roses, if I let anybody loose.

    Some plants had box moth caterpillar damage last year, not sure if I should inflict that on anybody else?
      
    I was afraid of that @Allotment Boy but might try it anyway.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    Nothing to lose by doing that Lizzie. 

    I think mine's going to come out this autumn. It was planted 8 years ago and the very first year had blight (suspect it was already contaminated). Since then there have been good / bad cycles but the last 2 years have been dreadful. It just looks a right mess at the moment and I don't want to continue using fungicides every year.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Try it and see @Lizzie27 and the day they arrange to come and fetch give the entire rows and the balls a jolly good soaking to make it easier to lift and remove them .  That will also minimise damage to your roses or you could stipulate that the leave the plant nearest to them and take that out carefully yourself.

    Friends of mine did this when they had a huge, inherited yucca that needed digging out to make way for a kitchen extension and new deck.   Its roots were very deep and thick so it was great for them to have someone else do teh hard labour.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
Sign In or Register to comment.