Is my hedge dying??

Hello. My first post here (my 'intro', which explains I know virtually nothing about gardens or gardening, I'm afraid, is linked below) - and already I see some useful earlier thread that linked to my own title. But some say it's natural, some say it is bad news. What does anyone think? I upload a couple of pictures (at least, I am going to try to in a minute!).

I am shocked to find that just under the healthy-looking (and smelling) green exterior of my evergreen hedge, most of the foliage and branches are dry and brown; they crumble away if you rub them hard with a gloved hand. Surely, this isn't good, let alone 'natural'? I did cut away one small area where the brown came out from the interior and was very visible, in the hope that the green part would eventrually take over. But someone warns here (I see much too late) that that is unlikely to happen.

What actions do folks recommend for this, if any? Thank you.

Intro:

Hi from Gatwick Airport

 

What we see is pretty normal for hedging conifers, they are always dead looking and brown inside.
Once you cut them hard back they are unlikely to green up again, sometimes it's possible to mask smaller brown areas with new growth but not large areas.

 

It's how most conifers grow - ie the new growth is largely at the outer ends of brancehs/stems, so internal brown wood is normal.
It's also quite likely that your hedge is leylandii, judging by the look of it in a couple of the pix, which doesn't regrow from brown wood, so it's important to cut them back carefully every time, so that they're not being cut back further than the new green growth. That may not be possible depending on the size, but it looks as if the top's been cut back. The outer growth lower down will gradually cover that, if that's what's been done.
Most conifers don't re grow if cut back into brown wood, unfortunately.

 

If you have inherited an evergreen hedge which you love and want to keep, you will need to clip it, preferably twice a year, in July/August and again in Spring to keep it within the bounds you want. This is because, if it is leylandii, it will grow 6/8ft each year. Developers used it extensively in the 60's and 70's, Ideal. cheap and rapid growth, but it has proved such a nightmare most councils have banned the planting of it on newly built estates.
The dead centre is typical, the most you could do is use an old broom handle to poke into the centre of the hedge all the way along, giving it a good jiggle. The dead debris will drop to the ground to expose the bare branches to let air and a little little light into the centre. Conifers do not grow new shoots from the length of the stems, only from the tips. If you start cutting out the dead areas you will end up with bare trunks and lollipops of growth at the top.

 

Thanks for the replies. Looks like I am going to have to fill that hole with some kind of garden ornament to make it less obvious! I only cut it away, as the brown area extended to the outside and looked, well, unhealthy and unattractive. I haven't exactly improved it, I know.

I like the idea of giving the interior of the hedge a shake with a broom handle to dislodge some of the more brittle interior dead wood.

I did 'invest' in a Black & Decker hedge trimmer, so I will try to keep all my heges looking 'neat', to an extent. I assume that that is what you meant by 'trimming'?

 

Yes. As long as you leave a short length of green foliage it will continue to grow. If you cut back past the end of the green growth area it will not grow or shoot again.
,

 

Depending on the length, width and height of your hedge, you may want to consider replacing it at some stage or improving the look with some planting nearby to distract the eye perhaps. A more distant view of the area would be useful for some ideas to consider, if that would help you .

 

I saw an interesting TV program recently where a hedge had been planted in the grounds of a stately home as a wind break. It had been planted as a double row of conifers with about 6ft between the rows. It is now around 30/40ft high and about 15ft wide. Because of the way the trees were planted there is now a "tunnel" between the two rows of trees where the current gardeners can get their ladders to cut the whole width of the top of the hedge.
Good thinking by someone.
Not many of us have the room to do that kind of thing.

 

Hmm, problem was, as I say, at the part I removed, there was no green foliage at all. I'll post a wider view photo later, as suggested. Thanks.

 

As an aside, Thuja hedges (also coniferous) are reputed to regrow when cut back beyond the green growth, and Leylandii is infamous for not doing so.

 

I brought back my conifer from being bald. One side had been hidden by another dying plant, so it never got any sun light. Once the dead plant was cut away, I was able to reach this conifer. Using nylon string, I pulled branches from each side and tied them off at the front. It was then left to grow, seen in the second picture.



The left side of this picture, shows it some time later, after a hair cut. I'd say that's a pretty good result. Ignore the right side of the picture, as it's from another of my threads on a different forum.

 

They do when I moved in I had two next to a shed and almost coppiced; one which shot back up happily the next year.

 

All I can say for sure is that I have a 'hedge'; as to what type it might be, you would have to tell me I'm afraid. My gardening knowledge is such that I am already quite proud that I recognised it as a hedge!

As I say, I'll post another photo soon.. might give you a better idea.

 

Agree about Thuja hedges - my OH cut ours back almost to the trunks years ago, and it did grow back. Looked dreadful for a while though.

 

Wider view, as suggested. (The butterflies were left by the previous owner, BTW! I was going to ditch them, but they partly cover up the hole in the hedge, so maybe I'll keep them a while!).