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hedge problems

BettyBooleyBettyBooley Posts: 18
in Problem solving
Hello All

I have an old pyracantha hedge which was originally supported with wooden posts and wire.
It now leans badly to one side and the wooden posts and wire no longer act as support as the posts have rotted and broken off at the bottom.(they are still inside the hedge)

I want  to grow a new hedge but because the pyracantha is so well rooted I wondered if I cut it down to the ground whether it would grow again sufficiently to regrow another hedge? (not sure whether to use supports again second time around) 

Your thoughts would be extremely welcome 

Betty




Posts

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    The other option is just to prune back to exactly how you want them to grow. As you stated, they are well rooted and all the old wooden posts/wires are buried and possibly rotted within the dense growth. With this option, you would need to chop off more than the intended shape to allow them a year or two to re-grow and leaf up.

    You can of course, just chop them right down, but that would seem a shame as the hedge will have formed quite a fair few branches behind all that dense growth, and a re-shape is possibly all you need.
  • BettyBooleyBettyBooley Posts: 18
    Thanks Borderline, it is just that the hedge is like the leaning Tower of Pisa! I dont know on cutting it back hard  that I would be able to get it centre/ square up. How do you do it? Use an extra powerful hedge trimmer to cut the weight out by shaving each side? Wouldn't it still lean if the lower stems have got used to falling to one side? 

    If I did cut it to the ground , would it survive and grow back ? 
    Thanks alot 
  • Loraine3Loraine3 Posts: 571
    I would be fearful of using a hedge trimmer if there is wire in the hedge. Not sure exactly how to cut it but you can mark out the shape you want with string and have the top narrower than the base.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    edited July 2020
    Like many hedges, the leaves are usually at the tips so even though it is growing like that, you can prune into the older wood, and some may be thick to re-create a more straighter line/shape. You will need to go quite far in to allow regrowth and branching.

    I understand your comment on leaning forward, but it won't do that if you have cut into older wood because they will have formed stout growth, and from there, new young growth will form, it is the new young growth you will be training into the new line.

    You can of course cut down and start again, but it will take a bit longer to re-grow.
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