Pruning privet is an important part of taking care of it and will help your hedge look nice and neat. Our helpful step-by-step guide on how to prune your privet hedge will help you quickly learn how to cut, trim, and prune they.
Privet shrubs are great for making formal or informal hedges because they are semi-evergreen. This makes privet a very useful plant for hedging.
As a popular hedging plant, privet requires regular pruning and maintenance to keep it looking tidy and encourage healthy growth. But when is the optimal time for cutting back privet hedges each year? Proper timing is key for getting the best results from privet pruning.
In this article, I’ll provide a complete guide on determining the best times to cut back your privet to keep it thriving season after season.
An Overview of Privet Hedges
Privet is a dense, bushy shrub that makes an excellent formally shaped hedge. There are several privet species to choose from, but common privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and golden privet (Ligustrum x vicaryi) are among the most popular for hedging.
Key traits that make privet ideal for hedging include
- Compact growth habit at 4-15 feet tall
- Tolerates pruning and shearing well
- Grows thickly to form barrier hedges
- Has small leaves that create dense foliage
- Grows in various conditions and soils
Properly maintained privet hedges keep their leaves year-round in mild climates but can be semi-evergreen to deciduous in colder zones
When to Cut Back Privet Hedges
Privet hedge pruning should be done at two main times each year:
Early Spring
The optimal window for the first yearly privet pruning is early spring right before new growth emerges. This is typically late February to early April but the exact timing depends on your climate.
Pruning in early spring:
- Removes dead wood from winter damage before growth starts
- Shapes hedge before rapid spring growth spurt
- Encourages the hedge to grow thicker and fuller
- Allows time for regrowth to fill in before summer
Mid to Late Summer
The second pruning should occur in summer after the privet has completed its main growth for the season. Late July to early September is ideal timing in most regions.
Summer privet pruning:
- Trims off old wood and errant new shoots
- Maintains desired hedge shape before winter dormancy
- Keeps hedge tidy through the fall and winter seasons
- Removes any diseased or pest-damaged foliage
Tips for Cutting Back Privet
Follow these tips when cutting back privet hedges:
- Use sharp, clean hedge shears for easiest cutting
- Cut just above leaf nodes or buds to encourage bushy regrowth
- Angle cuts slightly outward to allow light penetration
- Don’t prune into thick, old wood, only trim new growth
- Remove up to 6 inches from the tops and sides to shape
- Rake up and dispose of trimmed debris to prevent disease issues
What to Avoid When Pruning Privet
Here are some privet pruning mistakes to avoid:
- Cutting into thick, mature wood results in dieback
- Pruning too late allows tender new growth to get damaged by winter weather
- Trimming off growing tips in summer removes next year’s flower buds
- Shearing heavily inhibits flowering and creates thin, leggy growth
- Allowing clippings to remain invites pests and diseases
Signs It’s Time to Cut Back Privet
Watch for these cues that your privet hedge is ready for pruning:
- Hedge exceeds desired size boundaries
- Appearance is overgrown, irregular, or asymmetrical
- Dead branches or winter damage is present
- Leaf litter has accumulated inside the hedge
- Flowers (if present) have faded after spring bloom period
Providing Proper Post-Pruning Care
After cutting back your privet hedge, be sure to:
- Water hedge well after pruning to reduce stress
- Apply balanced fertilizer to nourish regrowth
- Check for signs of diseases or pests and treat if found
- Monitor hedge health over the following months
- Shape again with light trimming if needed through the growing season
Cutting back privet hedges at the right time of year is crucial for keeping privet healthy and maintaining an attractive formal hedge. The optimal timing is early spring before growth resumes and again in mid to late summer after annual growth is complete. Avoid pruning in fall or winter. With proper privet pruning technique and post-care, your hedge will retain its dense foliage and shapely form for years to come.
Cut away any dead or diseased wood
Using sharp, clean pruning shears, remove any dead branches or diseased wood. This will help to keep your privet hedge healthy by keeping diseases or pests from spreading.
How to prune a privet hedge
Regularly pruning your privet hedges keeps them healthy and makes them look great all year. It also encourages root growth. Here are four easy to follow steps and pruning tips for successful pruning:
How to Prune a large Privet Hedge Reduction with Hand Tools
FAQ
What month do you prune privet?
Will a privet hedge grow back if cut back hard?
How do you cut a privet to the ground?
How do you rejuvenate a privet hedge?
When should you prune a privet hedge?
In order to keep these hedges looking neat and attractive, you’ll definitely need to start privet hedge pruning. You’ll want to undertake these pruning steps in late winter. That is, removing damaged branches or opening the interior of the shrub should be done before spring growth begins. When to prune privet by trimming the outside of the hedge?
How do you prune a privet hedge?
Privet hedge pruning involves cutting back privet shrubs. Pruning privet hedges requires some effort, but it is worth the time and energy. You’ll need to wear gloves since privet sap causes irritation and rashes. So how to prune a privet hedge? The first step in privet hedge pruning is to trim out crossing branches.
How do you cut back a privet tree?
You’ll also want to keep cutting back privet to remove damaged or dead branches. Remove them at their base with loppers. Once you finish this, remove several large branches from the inside of each shrub to open up the center of the hedge. Use bypass pruners for this, cutting back each branch to a side branch.
When should I trim my privet bushes?
Trim off excess shoots near the surface of the soil when your privet shrubs become dormant in the late fall. Once the golden leaves fall from the bushes, look for spreading growth that emerges from the soil near the bases of your parent plants.