A privet hedge offers animals a habitat and people protection from unwanted glances, it can provide shade and reduce wind. But although the crop is easy to care for and practical in many ways, pruning is extremely important. When is the best time to cut the privet and what should be considered? We'll tell you here.
Hygiene and cutting tools
Before the cut can be made, the correct cutting tool must first be selected. Blunt scissors or the wrong utensils can cause the cut surfaces to fray and thus create entry paws for parasites and pathogens. It is therefore important to consider the following factors:
- choose sharp scissors and cutting tools or sharpen them before cutting
- Thoroughly clean cutting tools before and after use
- Choose scissors adapted to the thickness of the branches
Suitable for pruning the privet hedge include:
- manual and electric hedge trimmers
- Loppers
- Secateurs or rose shears
- Ratchet scissors
The use of electric hedge trimmers or cordless hedge trimmers is particularly recommended for larger hedges. They can be used quickly and a good result can be achieved with relatively little effort.
Preparation of the hedge
In addition to choosing the right tool for cutting back, preparation also includes showing the course of the cut. Even if you have a good sense of proportion,
can quickly cut crooked and crooked when cutting the hedge, which can seriously affect the appearance. Orientation helps to achieve or maintain the desired shape.
A lot of effort is not necessary for this, the following steps are sufficient:
- Poles or slats are placed in the ground at the beginning and the end of the hedge. They should be higher than the privet and have a stable stand.
- To limit the height, a thread or rope is now stretched between the bars. It shouldn't sag, but form a straight line.
- If the hedge is cut vertically, sticks and threads can be used to provide orientation on the sides. This means that a straight cut can also be made in front of and behind the corner.
frequency
Apart from the preparation and the right cutting tools, the frequency of the waste is also crucial. The fast-growing privet should be cut two to three times a year so that it grows densely and is kept healthy. The shape can also be kept easier and better by frequent trimming.
Especially with young plants, it is important that a cut is made three times a year. Otherwise the plant shoots up, but can quickly become bald in the lower areas or at least appear very light. Regular cutting also gives the plant the impetus to sprout again and to branch out more strongly.
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For older plants, however, it may be sufficient to prune twice a season. Provided the measure is carried out regularly and at the right time and is not proceeded too hesitantly.time
When the clipping takes place determines the health of the plant. The privet can be done between February and October. During the late autumn and winter, however, the crop should not be cut. Whether the pruning takes place in spring, summer or early autumn - it is important in any case that the time is chosen correctly. The following are to be avoided in any case:
- full sun, as it can lead to burns
- humid days and rain, as the cut surfaces then only dry out and close with a delay
- Frost as it can cause damage
An overcast but dry day or the late afternoon is ideal. This avoids the risk of burns and the cut surfaces can close and dry out overnight.
Radical cut back
A radical pruning or radical pruning can be done in both young and older plants Plants make sense in order to achieve the desired shape again and a new, denser shoot to stimulate. The shoots are shortened by up to 50 percent - that is, they lose half of their length. This may not seem sensible at first, but it is especially useful for older and balding plants often the only way to get a thicker foliage and the desired shape achieve.
However, the radical cut may not be carried out between March 1st and September 30th. The reason for this can be found in the ecological balance or in the animal world. Since some bird species like to use the privet hedge as a breeding ground, a radical cut could make nests including eggs or young birds or else stress the birds so much that they their young to neglect.
The time after which the privet has sprouted is correct - but before the 1st. March. The end of February is therefore ideal. Radical pruning in autumn, i.e. after September 30th, is also possible, but it costs the plant a lot of energy, which can delay budding and reduce it.
Care cut
With a care cut will not
proceeded almost as radically as with the taper cut.It is important:
- remove bare and damaged branches and shoots
- to bring too long shoots to the desired length
- to clear very thick and intersecting
The maintenance cut can be made in the period between March 1st and September 30th. However, it is important that you proceed carefully so as not to scare off any birds that may nest in the hedge. When the maintenance pruning is best carried out depends on the budding. The first budding occurs in February or early spring. If a radical cut has been made, the next maintenance cut is usually not necessary until June or July. If there was no radical cutting, the cutting can be done as early as May or June. From around August onwards, more shoots and buds form. Berries develop from the latter after flowering. If you want to harvest the berries or provide birds with food, you should make the last blending of the year as early as possible.
One way to do this is to cut the crop radically before March and in early summer Carry out a maintenance cut before the new budding and the formation of buds occur.
Caution: poisonous
The berries of the privet are used as food for birds, even in late autumn and winter. They are suitable for human consumption as liqueurs or jams. In the raw state, however, they are poisonous. Even small amounts are sufficient to severely or even fatally poison small children, for example.
Small children or pets often play in the garden, so either the privet should be avoided or the berries should be avoided. It makes sense to prune the plant before or during flowering. This avoids the formation of berries and reduces the risk of poisoning or completely prevents it.
However, the toxins are not only located in the privet berries. All other parts of the plant can also cause poisoning. It is therefore crucial to properly dispose of the green waste and avoid direct contact with it. Gloves should therefore be one of the utensils when cutting back.
