Prune young privet hedge after planting

The evergreen and dense privet hedge offers optimal privacy when it has grown well. It is therefore important to carry out a first cut immediately after planting a young privet hedge, which should help with later, dense growth.

Required tool

Electric hedge trimmers are always ideal for cutting young privet hedges. Secateurs are well suited when only a few small, protruding branches and twigs are to be cut, or when dead twigs inside the hedge need to be removed:

• cutting tool if necessary grind
• otherwise interfaces will fray
• cleaning supposedly clean tools and disinfecting them with alcohol
• this means that neither bacteria nor fungi can get into the crop via the interface
• could otherwise be damaged from the inside

Notice: Use a battery-powered hedge trimmer. Although this is a little heavier than the electric ones with a cable due to the battery, you do not need a power connection for this. In addition, the work can be done more easily because there is no annoying cable in the way.

The right moment

A young privet hedge should be watered at least twice a year cut will. If the plants have just been planted, then the time for this is irrelevant. Ideally, planting takes place in spring so that the roots can grow properly until winter, but autumn planting is also possible with the robust plant. The first cut is then made immediately:

• Cut into shape immediately after planting
• choose an overcast, dry day
• Interface does not dry out from sun
• Rain, on the other hand, could penetrate the plant
• in the following years only severe pruning at the permitted times
• in the other months only lightly cut back overhanging branches
• flowers could be accidentally removed in June or July
• in October look out for berries that are valuable for birds
• the best time is late winter just before budding

Tip: Because the newly planted hedge cannot yet accommodate bird nests, it is irrelevant at what time of year you cut back the new plants a little more radically. However, this only applies to the time directly after planting.

Step-by-step instructions for cutting the privet

If the privet has just been planted in a hedge and is still young, it should be cut so that the privet hedge already takes on a corresponding shape. Especially the already larger plants can do quite well in the lower area light be, so it always depends on the height of the newly acquired privet plants, how much should be cut back according to the instructions:

1. A privet should be cut back about 1/3 after planting.
2. Trim all branches accordingly, both at the top and at the sides.
3. Make sure you cut straight at the top.
4. Cut off all long, protruding shoots, more than 1/3 if necessary. So that the hedge grows nice and dense, the side shoots that grow into the neighboring shrub are left standing.
5. If the shrub already shows light spots near the ground, then it must be cut back more than 1/3. The privet can be cut directly at the base, so new branches are formed from below and the privet hedge is later opaque at ground level.

Tip: If you want to create a new hedge, it is better to use small plants here. Since these grow quickly, this hedge also becomes high quickly. If thin, tall plants are chosen, they often have to be cut back too much and then no longer have the desired initial height.

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