• slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
Pruning-a-Leggy-Hedge-THUMB.jpg

Pruning a Leggy Hedge

My wife and I built our house in 1984. We planted a hedge of honeysuckle and lilac along the East border for privacy. It's now leggy and sparse and some main branches are 4" to 6" in diameter. Can I take this down to the ground, rent a chipper and put the waste down around the pruned plants?

The honeysuckle will tolerate ground level pruning. Since the time you planted your hedge we have found many of the honeysuckles are invasive. If your hedge contains one of the invasive honeysuckles it may be a good time to remove these and allow the lilacs to fill in. A less stressful, for you and the plants, pruning strategy is to remove a third of the stems to ground level. Start with the older, bigger, ones first. Repeat every year for three years and you will have a hedge with leaves from top to bottom. After that, remove a few older stems each year to keep the plants looking good with minimal yearly pruning.

Related

Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars


March 20, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

Maximize the Beauty and Enjoyment
in Any Small Space
Register now

March 23, 2024

REALTORS Home & Garden Show
West Allis, WI

March 27, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

How to Start a Garden for Beginners
Register now

April 3, 2024
Garden Trends 

Franklin Public Library, Franklin, WI

April 10, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

Container Gardening Throughout the Year
Register now

April 11, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

7 Steps to Managing Water Where it Falls in Your Yard
Register now

April 18, 2024
Be a Waterwise Gardener
Golden Rondelle Theater, Racine, WI
Register now

April 20, 2024
Pruning Hydrangeas and Other Shrubs 
Pasquesi Home & Gardens, Lake Bluff, IL

April 27, 2024
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
Viroqua, WI

April 28, 2024
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI

May 1, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables
Register now

WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

Learn More

Book an Appearance

Learn More

Enter to Win The Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide !

ENTER NOW