What to do with this scraggly Hebe

sabeeha

Hello

I have this shrub; it has growth on the ends but is very leggy (?).

I have read various things - they don’t like to be cut heavily; or trim above growth and it will come back... 

What should I do? It’s a mature shrub with a low spread.  It’s planted towards the back, and will leave a large gap if I remove.

My garden faces north-west, but it is not in a shady spot.

Thank you!

josusa47

I've read that hebes "rarely perform well after hard pruning" and my experience bears that out.  I'd say it's time to dig it out and browse the catalogues for a replacement(s).  Or you could try layering it, either into the ground or into pots; I've had some success with this.  You choose a bendy branch that has plenty of leafy growth at the end, bend it down until it touches the soil, heap some soil over the top and place a heavy weight on top, such as a brick or two, or another big pot of soil.  Anything that will hold the branch down.  Leave it undisturbed for a year, and don't let it dry out.  After a year, remove the weight and brush the loose soil off.  Hopefully it will have grown roots, you can then cut it away from the parent plant, dig it out and re-plant it.

Loxley

It's grown that way for a reason - it's too shaded / swamped by other things. It looks pretty awful and I would dig it up, and replace with something more suitable. You can easily take cuttings from hebe so your shrub's life doesn't have to be in vain. They seem to strike readily for me, just pushed into compost and placed in a shady spot and kept moist.

sabeeha

Hello

Thank you josusa47 and WillDB

Much appreciated advice.