How far can you cut back privet?

maypole

We have a tall wide privet covered in green all over it, but inside is just brown twigs, it's the depth of it I don't like. The whole front of the hedge would need cutting back to reveal the brown branches inside, would it then regrow? I know it grows if you trim the height.

demystified

I've cut back privet so hard it looked like a bunch of broom handles, it came back fighting fit. It did look bare for a few weeks though.

It's almost indestructible.

geoffky

I have just planted 25 of the yellow privets and they are growing well but i have nipped them all so they grow thick rather than taller atm.
I am hoping to get them to 6ft to replace a row of pine trees that i cut down due to light problems..

lostinrates

Well, hope ypu are all right! We cut three feet intwo the hedge today, and almost that much last weekend. There is young growth at the bottom but we have some scrubby brown to look at through winter. It might have been more sensible to wait til late winter, but my goodness the garden seems bigger. One more stretch to go and then we have finished.

sammyjammy

lostinrates wrote: »

Well, hope ypu are all right! We cut three feet intwo the hedge today, and almost that much last weekend. There is young growth at the bottom but we have some scrubby brown to look at through winter. It might have been more sensible to wait til late winter, but my goodness the garden seems bigger. One more stretch to go and then we have finished.

I had the exact same problem with too wide privet in my narrow garden. Cut it back by about half two weeks ago and its already got loads of shoots and leaves. Would love to get rid of it completely but can't afford to replace it with a low fence/trellis.

I hate privet in my back garden as it houses lots of snails which eat my produce.

lostinrates

Well, its all done finally! Dh and i disagreed how much to remove at far corner so we have agreed to revisit the question next year. I am itching to get the rest of the hege neatly trimmed, now its cut back, but we are not as we have building works going in so the screening is good atm. But in a few weeks we will give it a cut ack for winter and i am looking forward to that.


Dh wants to castleate the top of it now....he wants to learn to do some topiary and thinks this would be as good a canvas as any.