Hedge Hacking

Hoof_Hearted

A bit of advice -- I have a long standing conifer hedge -- not sure what but quite slow growing. It is too tall to cut easily and I want to take a foot or so off the top. Is this a good time to do it and will it regenerate in the spring? I know it will look horrible in the short term.

wellused

I always thought that summer was the time to cut conifers.

Dustykitten

We took loads off ours at the start of summer and the top did not green in at all this year. They don't grow well if you cut back beyond the green bits I find.

Davesnave

Depends what it is.

Leylandii will not grow back from brown wood, but Lawson cypress might. Neither would notice "a foot off the top" if you mean that literally.

I used to take a couple of feet off my Leylandii and they grew back with no problems. Indeed, now that I no longer own them, they are heading for 'infinity & beyond!':rotfl:

Hoof_Hearted

I am sure they are not Leylandii but I don't know what it is. I guess the first thing is to try to identify it. If I post a picture, any chance of identifying it?

fwor

If you have a closeup photo of the foliage and bark, and the right person comes along then yes. A photo at a distance can be next to useless unless it's a very distinctive type.

I had someone identify mine from a close look at the foliage (Lawson's cypress: feathery, scaly leaves and orange/red bark). As Davesnave says, that type does grow back from lower branches, though not quickly!

peter_the_piper

If you want to have an easy hedge to cut afterwards you could try cutting the leading tip back by 18" ans the rest by 12" you don't end with a stumpy bit.