What is wrong with my privet hedge? - Ask Extension
We have a small hedge of privet in areas of our yard, and last year and this year it seems to be really struggling. I've attached some photos, but pa...
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What is wrong with my privet hedge? #246753
Asked May 24, 2015, 11:03 AM EDT
We have a small hedge of privet in areas of our yard, and last year and this year it seems to be really struggling. I've attached some photos, but part of the plant seems to be dying, and other parts are OK. There are also other parts that are growing with these very small leaves which I'm not sure are normal. Any thoughts?
Larimer County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello,
We've seen a lot of dieback on shrubs in our landscapes following the November cold snap and the dry, cold, windy winter. With privet, they do have success with "rejuvenation pruning" which means cutting the entire plant down to the ground and the suckers will create a new shrub. Doing it at this time of year can be stressful, but it may be your best option.
Another thing to consider would be to prune out the dead areas of the shrub back to live tissue. This will be cumbersome and may result in shrubs that are not attractive.
The smaller leaves are from stressors (temperature, drought/excess water, root system dysfunction, etc.). It's just a sign the shrub is under stress.
The final option would be to remove the shrubs and replant. You can also wait and see if the shrubs continue to push growth through mid-June. But if you gently bend the twigs of areas that haven't leafed out and the twigs snap, it's a sign those tissues are dead.
We've seen a lot of dieback on shrubs in our landscapes following the November cold snap and the dry, cold, windy winter. With privet, they do have success with "rejuvenation pruning" which means cutting the entire plant down to the ground and the suckers will create a new shrub. Doing it at this time of year can be stressful, but it may be your best option.
Another thing to consider would be to prune out the dead areas of the shrub back to live tissue. This will be cumbersome and may result in shrubs that are not attractive.
The smaller leaves are from stressors (temperature, drought/excess water, root system dysfunction, etc.). It's just a sign the shrub is under stress.
The final option would be to remove the shrubs and replant. You can also wait and see if the shrubs continue to push growth through mid-June. But if you gently bend the twigs of areas that haven't leafed out and the twigs snap, it's a sign those tissues are dead.
