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privet hedge

driverdiverdriverdiver Posts: 13
in Problem solving

can any one help with what to do with a 20 year old hedge that has grown to 20feet around the allotment that i have just taken?

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Posts

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    Privet is virtually indestructible and can take hard pruningimage

    Cut it now to the height and width you want -it will soon leaf up again next yearimage

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    Certainly will. Ours was so tall the telephone wires were catching in it when we moved here. It's a hedge again now



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,109

    You might find that as the privet is a greedy feeder, it has taken a lot of the goodness out of the soil, so in the land near to the hedge you might need to manure/fertilise/mulch more heavily - the same goes for watering.  

    But on ;the plus side, it will attract lots of small hedgerow birds who will help keep bugs at bay, and when it blooms it will attract lots of pollinating insect - I love privet - the smell of privet always takes me back to an idyllic holiday in Brittany years ago.image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    I don't like the smell of privet flowers but the goldfinches think it's a good place to nest so it's safe from demolition.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • driverdiverdriverdiver Posts: 13

    thanks alot, I will give it a good prune over Christmas,weather permitting, and look forward to a thicker hedge in a couple of years.

  • Joe_the_GardenerJoe_the_Gardener Posts: 876

    I would go a bit further than drama boy and cut it to less than you want then let it grow to the shape you want with new wood

  • driverdiverdriverdiver Posts: 13

    it stands at about 20-30 feet tall, so will it take a cut down to 5 feet in 1 go?

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,109

    I'm sure it will be fine if you chop it right back, remember "growth follows the knife", so it'll soon be springing up rejuvenated - as has been said, I'd cut it back lower than you want it to be - the old wood will throw out new shoots and you'll have a lovely new hedge before very long at all image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • driverdiverdriverdiver Posts: 13

    Thanks again, I just hope the weather is kind over Christmas and I will get it done.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,109

    You'll have earned a "sit by the fire with a winter warmer" after you've done that image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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