Privet is a very hardy shrub. Most species tolerate frost without any problems and need little or no additional winter protection in winter. However, if the privet hedge is still very young, you should protect it from too much cold in winter, but above all from the sun.
Privet is very hardy
Caring for privet properly in winter
Privet needs little care in winter. It easily withstands minus temperatures of up to ten degrees and lower. You can even cut it on frost-free days.
- Winter protection only for young plants
- water in dry winters
- protect from strong midday sun
Young privet bushes should be watered regularly, even in winter. They have not yet formed a sufficient root system with which they can take care of themselves from deeper layers of the earth. With older plants, additional watering is only necessary if it has been very dry for a long time in winter.
A winter protection can be useful if the hedge is directly in the blazing winter sun. In this case, you should provide light shading. Suitable are special mats from the garden store or pine branches, which you put into the ground next to the bushes.
Protect soil from drying out in winter
If privet doesn't survive the winter, it's not frozen, it's dried up. It evaporates water through the leaves, but cannot replace moisture when the ground is frozen.
Therefore, you should water young privet hedges in winter on frost-free days.
A mulch layer under the shrubs prevents soil moisture from evaporating.
Privet is not evergreen
Even if it is repeatedly claimed: privet is not evergreen. It sheds its leaves during the winter. Depending on the temperatures and incidence of light, they can even remain on the bush until new growth occurs.
If the privet loses its leaves in winter, this is a completely normal process.
In severe cold, the leaves change color. Again, this is no cause for concern. Many gardeners plant privet for this seasonal leaf discoloration.
tips
If you keep privet in a bucket, make sure the pot is big enough. Do not expose it to direct midday sun in winter. The leaves then evaporate too much water and there is a risk that the privet will dry up.