Have I killed my Privet Hedge?

The privet hedge in my back garden was very overgrown and about 1 1/2 months ago I trimmed it back quite significantly.

My parents came and helped, who have a privet hedge in their garden, and bowing to my dads wisdom, we cut it back from about 12 foot to about chest high. This took all the green foliage and young supple branches off, leaving mainly the mature hedge stems.

Since then I have done my own research and I have learnt that you should not trim a privet until the last frost has past. Since we trimmed it the temperatures have been below zero and there has been many a frosty morning !!

I am concerned because, on inspection, there still does not appear to be any sign of re-growth. No buds, nothing. I really want to keep the hedge and am keeping everything crossed that I have not killed it. Can anyone put my mind at rest?

 

By rule of them, scratch a branch lightly with your thumb nail, if its green underneath the bark its alive if its brown its dead

 

Hi
I think and positive it will grow back , early days yet as it has to resprout out of bear branches , as you have cut of all the growth by the sound of it so it has to work extra hard soon show as it warms up, I would give a feed of growmore to give it a kick start as privet is a realy hungry hedge

Let us know what happens
Spruce

 

Good evening Panza and welcome to the site. I wouldn`t worry too much, privet is pretty resilient. I agree with Spruce about giving it a feed to kick it into growth, but I would suggest Nitrate of Soda rather than Growmore.

 

I gave our privet hedge a very brutal hair cut at the back end of last year (but before the winter turned nasty). On my side, its been bare brown wood since.

However, I was confident it would survive, and it now has buds on it. It took a while, and still looks bare until you stand right up close and actively seek out the buds, but they are there.

I think it just takes a bit of time. Everything is starting to wake up now, so I reckon within a few weeks you'll start to see something happening.

 

Thanks all, that sounds quite positive. I will get some food for it this weekend. I guess the nitrate of soda fertilizer is a little like a stinging nettle brew.

 

Hi please expalin Why Nitrate of Soda ?? and is it sold under that name , I thought growmore because it would be better to use a all purpose fertiliser , rather than to high in nitogen that would cause to much sappy growth

Spruce

 

I think it will grow back. Nothing short of napalm would kill privet, in my experience.

The bit about not pruning when frosts are due - another potential gardening myth, I think. If the wood is ripened, completely dormant and the plant is hardy then frozen cut ends on the ends of twigs will not take much harm - a bit of die-back at worst. If it was fresh, soft, sappy growth being frosted then that would be another matter.

Better to prune when you've got the time and the inclination than too late or not at all.

 

Spruce, Nitrate of Soda is a high nitrogen fertiliser so more suitable for encouraging leaf growth. It is sold under that name. It is also very good for feeding onions and cabbages. Another suitable, high nitrogen fertiliser is Sulphate of Ammonia.

 

I think that privet will be back Panza.
I've had really overgrown privet that was brashed back right into the stems and it was back OK.
And yes, do give it a feed. I don't think it matters what you use. Anything beats nothing !