Hedging disaster...

I have 80ft of Escallonia hedging running along the boundary of my garden. Although it's not Apple Blossom I would assume they all have the same habits. Escallonia likes drought and is perfect in a coastal position with sandy soil and will put up with just about any weather as long as it's feet aren't sitting in water. I live on the coast.

It's a hardy shrub and will put up with any amount of pruning like privet and at any time of year apart from winter. From a young age your hedge should have been pruned lightly to make it fill out. I would cut the top foot off it now and trim any straggly stems at the sides, then leave it to it's own devices for some while. Taking the top off will force it to fill out at the bottom. Don't feel the need to feed it as that will make it concentrate on more top growth. The V-shape trimming is not necessary either unless that's what you would prefer.

Here is 40ft of the hedging. newly trimmed and almost back to bare branches. It grows very quickly and has to be cut back twice a year. It doesn't matter if you cut into bare wood as it will re-shoot.

 

Thank you all for your advice....I would rather a squared off hedge but ultimately I want a healthy hedge! So a foot will come off today shame to lose the lovely flowers but so be it! It has never been evergreen either all the leaves dropped off over winter but I did keep feeding it last year so I've obvs mistreated my poor hedge