neglected mixed hedge

Hi,

We have inherited a mixed hedge which includes a conifer, golden priver and unfortunately fargensia bamboo...
it looks a mess and is about 1m thick.
Can I prune it severely so that the thickness of the hedge is only 30cm or so?

I am worried that the priver will only have wood branches left with hardly any growth. But at the same time it needs attention because right now it is a mess.

Any suggestions? Can I prune hard golden privet?

thanks

 

Privet will look ropey for a while but should bounce back even from old wood, the conifer may be a broblem as if you go into old wood there it wont grow back. 30cm may be ambitous but you will be able to reduce it, as you say shame about the bamboo thats gonna be contant work (or you could repeatidly paint weedkiller onto the leaves)

 

The quick answer is yes, you can prune golden privet hard back.

But your problem seems to be a bit more than that. Cutting back an established, metre wide hedge to just 30 cm will make it look pretty scraggy. Because it's mixed, you'll probably find that it grows back at varying rates and my guess is that the bamboo will dominate.

Could this be the time to grub it all out and start again with something beautiful and easy to care for like beech, hornbeam or escalonia?

 

Hedge equals boundary - what do your neighbours think as you will need to attack both sides.

You could either grub the whole thing out as Flinty suggests or take out the conifers and bamboo and plant more golden privet.

 

I inherited a hedge that,was 2 metre high and 2 metre wide - it was al privet though and that made it better.

I cut it hard back to about 60 cm wide and just over a metre high and about 1.7 metre high. then as it grew cut alternate sides back a bit further and a bit further, keeping the height at about 2 metre. It has taken about 5 years but is now great except in one small area that I have to keep cutting back a bit further than I want it in order that it thickens up. It now makes a good thick boundary in all other areas. AND so long as I keep on top of it looks really smart. I have to cut it 4 or 5 times a year though. I could do it less but it is quicker and easier when done frequently