Need Privet (Boxwood) input Please.

[Flower4Yeshua]

We have privets growing across the front of the yard…they are about 2 and ½ to 3 feet tall…and at least 1 foot wide…. Personally I do not care for them, but they are what is there…at first I was going to just dig and pull them out…but they do make a boarder…They have not been tended for a few years now…what I am wondering is how far can I prune them to try and get a good form to them? Top and sides…Also they are looking not so green….I know part is because it is winter…and the snow kind of pushed them down, but I am sure they need a little something to green them up a bit…I am Organic all the way…so was looking for input on what I might use? Thanks all for your input.

 

[swindy]

Are privets the same as yews?

 

[treeman]

Pssssttttt (treeman wispers.... this is a request for private input isn't it) "your privets may be fertilized with plantone or milorganite if you want to stay organic.... other wise 10-10-10 should help em out.

Alsao you should be able to lop em off at a foot in heisht and have a nice regrowth.

 

[bob]

Pssssttttt (treeman wispers.... this is a request for private input isn't it) "your privets may be fertilized....

Hey, when I saw it I thought it was a typo.

 

[Crabbergirl]

Got my attention too LOL!

 

[Flower4Yeshua]

Wes you had me worried...I thought I spelt it correctly...thank you on the feeding...now...do you know if I can wack them way back and try and get a nice form for them...
Saron I don't know if they are same plant...

 

[RonsGarden]

Privets (ligustrum) are the standard deciduous shrub used for hedges around here, and are easily pruned to any shape and size you have the energy to do!
You can cut them right down to a few inches and remove all the old dead wood.
They will quickly regrow! Giving them a shot of fertilizer (as Wes mentioned) will help speed them up!

Sharon
Yews are evergreens.

 

[RonsGarden]

Here's a good site on pruning Privets:
http://www.gilmour.com/Pruning-Tools/Pruning-Tips/Hedges.aspx

 

[Flower4Yeshua]

Thank you so much Ron....Now when you say the Yews are evergoreens...are you saying that Privets are not?...Because the ones here and th eones we had inCalifornia were green all year...or had/have growth all year...I don't take as good of care of them as I should I supose ...As I said I really don't care for them ...but in both yards they are here and make a boarder... So what I am seeing is i could take them way down and way back, with out harming them. I will try and post a picture of them tomorrow.

 

[RonsGarden]

Thank you so much Ron....Now when you say the Yews are evergoreens...are you saying that Privets are not?...Because the ones here and th eones we had inCalifornia were green all year...or had/have growth all year...I don't take as good of care of them as I should I supose ...As I said I really don't care for them ...but in both yards they are here and make a boarder... So what I am seeing is i could take them way down and way back, with out harming them. I will try and post a picture of them tomorrow.

A photo would tell us all we need to know!
The name privet may not apply to the ones you have if they are are evergreen!

 

[Kale]

Ill just share what I know
Here is my Privet.
My friend has one that doesn't bloom like mine and is about or over ten feet tall. Hers is a hedge.
I do however prune and love it enough to take pics
I believe it is and evergreen in California or elsewhere. It isn’t suppose to be hardy here but for some reason, it is. It does however change to pretty colorful shades of bronze.
It has berries after the blooms around mid July.
The blooms smell like (bi-colored honeysuckle)(simply breath taking!) and the Hummers Love it.
I prune in early May the buds will appear soon after by June 6th I will have the beginning of flowers until July, I sometime trim then hoping to get another splash of blooms but I do not recall that working.
It just grows after the blooms and while setting the berries.
I'm told the birds love them and that they wont eat them I do not know .I do however know that lots of berries are scattered all over the tree until high winds, then just a few hang on. I have not witnessed birds but my friends swears they love it ...
Is this the Privet you have? I have several I am trying to grow into mini ones like this one in various shapes, some were suckers and some were from seed I have been working with them since May 07 (I think) .The one I kept indoors would not live outside he just grew a tiny bit and lost him (may-be) in 08 season. I will see next year if he shows himself fit to be cared for.

Here you go...Does it look like this at all?
You make it if you want!

Kale

 

[RonsGarden]

Thanks Kale!
That is the privet we use for hedges!
The flowers look like mini lilac blooms....I've never like the fragrance since it smells like urine!
For hedges it need pruning 2 to 3 times during the growing season if you want to maintain a certain shape!

 

[Kale]

Ron I'm guessing you either have a cat sprinkling on your hedges or you have spent wet blooms from a white wisteria nearby, because the scent from the privet I have, smells glorious!
And I am very particular in my likes in scents.

Do you have Wisteria and does it bloom before the privets?
There are a few other plants that smell terrible also.What do you have near it?

Kale

 

[RonsGarden]

Nope!
None of the above!
It maybe the soil that caused the sweet pea smell!
I do not have any where we live now.
We have hybrid barberry instead....they make a nasty hedge...my next door neighbor looks after them because I wont touch them unless I have leather gloves on. He loves going out to prune them!! If I had my way I would have dug them up years ago and replace them with privet! There is a really nice cultivar with golden/yellow foliage!

 

[Kale]

Meanwhile, Deb, you can train them to be mini trees I'm doing it now it is rather easy.
Just a little dedicated work,during the growing season.

Kale

 

[Flower4Yeshua]

time got away from us around here this weekend...running after a 4 year old keeps one busy...once the sun is up I shall get a few pictures...our here are in a very long hedge already...I am thinking of getting some form to them...not really in want of just a straight box hedge...any ways I shall be back later...thanks all

 

[Flower4Yeshua]

OK finally got a few moments to go out and take a few pictures of the plants we call privets aorund here...these are the same things I had in California...but there they were over 5 feet tall....I took a few views and also a few close up...I noticed on some of the leaf on the backs it looks a bit like a burn...maybe from the snow...I have no idea...Now, I don't think these bloom at all...the ones we had in CA did not ever bloom

 

[Randy]

Say, Deb, when you were here the other day, I didn't think to ask you if you needed any Blue Lake pole bean seeds. We still have time, but do you need any? I have lots of them.

 

[RonsGarden]

OK finally got a few moments to go out and take a few pictures of the plants we call privets aorund here...these are the same things I had in California...but there they were over 5 feet tall....I took a few views and also a few close up...I noticed on some of the leaf on the backs it looks a bit like a burn...maybe from the snow...I have no idea...Now, I don't think these bloom at all...the ones we had in CA did not ever bloom

They're Boxwoods!
They are evergreen up here too!
Rarely need clipping, only enough to keep them in shape once a year.
Your's look to be very old!
Best not to remove anymore then 1/3 but with these guys it is best to take less off!

 

[Flower4Yeshua]

Ron....So not privets...oh my....and yes very old I am told...thank you so very much...I really don't care for them ...we will eventually take them out and put in another type of boarder...They are very rough getting out ..root ball was huge...

Randy no I don't need any but thank you