- Also cut young privet hedges in autumn
- Prune privet heavily after planting in the fall
- What is cut in the fall?
- Use clean and sharp tools
A privet hedge only becomes dense and beautiful if it is cut frequently. This is especially true for young hedges that have not yet branched out well and are therefore not opaque. The privet is cut in spring, August and again in autumn.

Also cut young privet hedges in autumn
In order for the privet to branch well, it needs an additional pruning in autumn. Only older privet hedges can do without an autumn cut.
There are also experts who advise against pruning in the fall, as the new shoots stimulated by the pruning no longer harden sufficiently. In severe frosts they then freeze off.
Prune privet heavily after planting in the fall
If you have planted the privet or the privet hedge in autumn, you must immediately cut back the first one. The shoots are shortened by two-thirds. That sounds like a lot, but it encourages the privet to develop many branches next spring. In addition, the privet grows faster in height.
What is cut in the fall?
- topiary
- thin out
- remove diseased and weak branches
The pruning is not carried out as much as in the spring when the privet is pruned back to the stick.
The best time for pruning is from September. Then a stronger pruning is allowed again. You can cut on frost-free days when the sun doesn't shine too much.
Use the shrub pruning to create a layer of mulch under the privet. You should cut or chop the leftovers into small pieces.
Use clean and sharp tools
To cut the privet in autumn, you usually only need secateurs. Saws are not necessary because you only remove thick branches in exceptional cases.
Make sure that the cutting blades are very sharp so that the skins of the branches do not tear when cutting. This allows fungal spores to enter.
Clean tools are very important so you don't spread diseases or pests to the privet or other plants in the garden.
tips
Privet loses its leaves in autumn and winter. Even if it is often read differently, the privet is not one of the evergreen shrubs. The leaves often stay hanging for a very long time.