Privet: Plants, Cutting & Co

The evergreen privet is a popular privacy screen in home gardens. We show what needs to be considered when buying, planting, cutting and the like.

Anyone looking for an easy-care and durable privacy screen is at the privet (Ligustrum) at the right address. The plant makes a beautiful hedge and is an excellent alternative to privacy screens made of plastic or wood.

Fortunately, the privet requires little effort. And yet it has more to offer than you might think. In summer it shows its fragrant white flowers and in autumn and winter it presents itself with shiny black berries. If you want, you can even try your hand at an artist on the privet, because the plant can be pruned into a wide variety of shapes. Whether as an accurate hedge, in artistic forms, as a bonsai or as a wild shrub - privet can be used in many ways.

Privet: characteristics and origin

Privet is a widespread genus of the olive family (Oleaceae), the individual species often come from Japan or China. There is only one species native to Europe, the common privet (Ligustrum vulgare). Privet is an evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub or tree. The plant has long established itself as an ornamental plant in European gardens. Its good cut tolerance has made it widely used as a garden hedge. Between June and August it also forms white and often fragrant flowers that are numerous native butterflies, Bees and attract species of flies. The berries that show up afterwards are no less popular. Birds can therefore often be seen on the privet hedge in winter.

Privet species

With over 40 species, the privet is versatile. In German-speaking countries, semi-evergreen species are mainly used as ornamental plants - they are losing their leaves only in very cold winters and are therefore also sufficient in the frosty season Privacy protection. Important species are, for example, the common privet (Ligustrum vulgare) or the oval-leaved privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium).

More about the different Privet species and varieties You can find out about possible uses here.

Buy privet

Buying privet plants needs to be considered carefully because a privet hedge is durable. It makes sense to go to a tree nursery to compare different species and varieties.

Tips on Purchase of privet we have put it together for you here.

Planting privet

When planting privet, it is particularly important to keep the planting distance. There should never be more than three plants per running meter in a hedge. Once the young privet plants are in the ground, a sufficient supply of water is necessary until they are properly rooted.

More about Planting privet You will find here.

Propagate privet

The multiplication of the privet is very uncomplicated, because you have three options here: Im Spring via cuttings and in summer via cuttings and offshoots, although the last method is a bit more complex represents.

How do you feel about your Privet hedge pull yourself, you can find out in detail here.

Maintain privet

Privet is pretty undemanding, which makes it an easy-care addition to the garden. Only the cut needs your attention and should be done at least once a year.

Water privet hedges

Immediately after planting, privet plants are of course still very needy and their root system is not yet fully developed. For this reason, they are not yet able to get water from the wider area. Therefore, water freshly planted or young plants regularly so that they develop well. Older specimens need a little water now and then at most when it is very dry. However, too much water and waterlogging must be avoided at all costs, as this can lead to root rot.

Trimming privet hedges

Privet is very cut tolerant. This makes it relatively easy to educate yourself about a beautiful, dense hedge or even a ball or pyramid. To encourage branching, pruning should be carried out once or twice a year. The ideal time for this is early spring or the beginning of October. Radical pruning is also possible in the case of baldness.

Everything important about the Pruning privet find out here.

Fertilize privet hedges

Long-term fertilization in March or April is completely sufficient for the privet. It is best to use a slow release fertilizer like ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer. Alternatively are also compost or Damn suitable. Incorporated into the soil, the fertilizer will last until the next time. Mineral fertilization, on the other hand, is unfortunately not so long-lasting. A second gift at the beginning of August is recommended.

More details about the Fertilizing privet get here.

Privet Hedges: Common Pests and Diseases

Privet is an extremely robust plant. It is seldom afflicted by diseases or pests and even then these usually do not cause any significant damage.

The main pests and diseases on privet:

• Leaf spot diseases: These are caused by different types of fungus. The most common pathogens here are representatives of the genera Ascochyta, Septoria, Colletotrichum and Phyllosticta. Often there is also the mushroom on the privet Cercrospora ligustri to find. You can easily recognize the infestation of leaf spot diseases by the irregular spots on the leaves. Differentiating the various pathogens is a real challenge, however. Most of the troublesome fungi particularly like to settle in high humidity. In a dry or windy location, leaf blotch infestation should not be a problem.
• Root rot: Waterlogging can lead to root rot, which can only be prevented by choosing the right location. When planting the privet, make sure that you do not plant the plant in the ground where the puddles collect when it rains. If the soil is particularly impermeable to water, you should mix some sand under the soil before planting or even create a drainage using gravel.
• Privet aphid (Myzus ligustri): As a result of an infestation, the leaves curl up, turn yellow and eventually fall off. A strong pruning is usually helpful here.
• Powdery mildew(Microsphaera penicillata): The dreaded fungus can occur in rare cases, but does not cause any further damage. It does not appear until late summer and can be recognized by a whitish coating on the leaves.

All in all, privet is very resilient and can cope with most diseases and pests on its own.

Privet Hawk

In individual cases, the caterpillar can also be found on the privet Privet Hawk (Sphinx ligustri) discover. The large moth's caterpillar is bright green with distinctive markings and a kind of sting at the rear end. You can find out why its appearance is not a cause for concern, even though it looks so huge, in our special article Privet Swarmers.

Is the privet poisonous?

Privet is only slightly poisonous. Nevertheless, one should be careful, because even if birds benefit from the berries in winter, they can cause symptoms of poisoning in humans. Not every animal can eat without consequences.

Find out more about the here Toxicity of privet and what to do in case of poisoning.