In the natural garden, privet is very popular as valuable wood for feeding birds and much swarmed with bees. Pronounced pruning tolerance and evergreen foliage recommend magnificent Ligustrum species as perfect hedge plants. In order to fulfill its diverse tasks in the garden, privet depends on professional pruning. This tutorial provides you with well-founded cutting instructions for all options. How to properly cut privet as a solitaire and hedge.

Especially as a hedge, the privet needs regular pruning

Table of Contents

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  1. Types of cuts with appointments
  2. plant cutting
  3. Built-up cut solitaire
  4. Construction cut hedge
  5. Shape and maintenance cut solitaire
  6. Topiary hedge
  7. taper cut
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. Privet cooperates with every cut - types of cuts and dates at a glance

    As a solitary shrub, privet is very popular with birds and insects. White flowers in panicles in early summer and black berries in autumn make the deciduous tree a popular destination for feathered and winged garden dwellers. Gardeners appreciate the evergreen, dense foliage. In the creative design plan, privet is an important element to complete the garden idyll as a bed border, green room divider or majestic enclosure. The following table summarizes which types of cuts you can rely on the cooperation of Privet:

    cut type goal/occasion Appointment Option I Appointment option II Appointment Option III
    Plant cut solitaire and hedge compact growth, luxuriant branching at the shrub base after planting in February of the following year none
    Built-up cut solitaire densely branched growth from base to crown February to early March late June to mid-July mid to late August
    Construction cut hedge Growth with a privacy factor February late June to mid-July mid to late August
    Shape and maintenance cut solitaire light-flooded, shapely habitus from the 5th year every 3 years in February none none
    Topiary hedge growth control February end of June mid August
    Rejuvenation cut solitaire and hedge revitalization November to February none none

    digression

    Privet trumps boxwood - with one exception

    Since box tree moths and Buxus diebacks have spoiled gardeners' enjoyment of the evergreen box tree in many regions, privet has become a popular choice recommended replacement started. Only for the design of green sculptures, such as cones, spheres, pyramids or spirals, privet cannot outrank the evergreen boxwood. Sooner or later, a privet will shed its leaves to make room for a fresh shoot. In locations with harsh winter conditions, the trees stand there without their foliage for a few weeks, which is disadvantageous for the green garden art. The only evergreen privet species Ligustrum delavayanum is only very limited hardy and also loses its leaves in temperatures below freezing. Privet makes up for the small fly in the ointment as an indestructible hedge plant and hardy solitaire that offers little to cunning pests and diseases.

    Pruning solitaires and hedges on the day of planting - instructions for planting

    The best time to plant privet as a solitary shrub, bed border or hedge is between October and March, unless the ground is frozen. You can plant young shrubs in containers throughout the year, weather permitting. In the event of frost, summer heat or extreme drought, the planting date should be postponed. On the day of planting, the scissors are used for the first time, as illustrated in the figure below. The following cut is aimed at a strong branching near the ground:

    • Cut back the privet shoots by a third or half
    • Shorten bare root goods more than container goods
    • shrubs already in pyramidal shape intersect with a broad base and a narrower crown

    Inexperienced gardeners skip pruning so that privet grow quickly. The desire for rapid growth is understandable, but results in a bare, weakly branched shrub base of solitaire and hedge. By boldly pruning the young shoots all around, you release an advantageous one Plant cut effect with a permanently strong branching in the lower part of the bush. The recommended pyramidal cutting profile guarantees light-flooded growth from the day of planting. Pruning of solitaire and hedge in trapezoidal shape prevents privet branches from overshadowing each other.

    Young privet will benefit from a vigorous pruning on the day of planting. Cut all shoots in half. In this way you encourage solitaire and hedge to branch out vigorously.

    Built-up cut makes privet a feast for the eyes and bees

    With a prudent pruning, you can give your privet bush a shapely shape that doesn't need to shy away from comparison with boastful flowering bushes. By nature, the deciduous tree develops a stable framework, whose bottom shoots remain vital and floriferous for up to eight years. This property allows the following training pattern on the way to eye and bee feast:

    • The best time is in February on a frost-free day
    • Build privet with 7 to 12 of the most vital bottom shoots as a framework
    • Cut back 5 to 10 canes by half for each scaffold shoot, remove the remaining canes
    • Cut off excess shoots at the base

    The length of time that a build-up cut takes depends on the type and variety of privet selected. As a rule, the upbringing is completed after three years and ends with the solitaire in the maintenance phase. The recommended pyramidal shape is important to note for a professional build-up cut. Measure the cutting circumference so that branches near the crown do not cast a shadow on shoots positioned further down.

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    Sap accumulation causes privet to branch profusely near the ground

    If you subject privet bushes to planting and growth pruning, you will have a beneficial effect on the sap flow inside the plant. As the growth law of top promotion teaches us, plant juices always strive in the direction of the top buds. Strong growth takes place at these points, which steadily reduces the greater the distance between a bud and the tip of the shoot. Buds close to the ground usually sprout little or not at all because the juice pressure is minimal there. By removing top buds with the scissors, the juice pressure on buds that have previously been supplied with less priority increases, which then sprout. Conclusion for trimming privet during the growth years: the heavier the trimming, the more pronounced growth and branching below the cuts.

    Gradual build-up cut forms an opaque privet hedge

    If privet grow in rows to form a hedge, pruning is aimed at one in the first few years gradual construction. To this end, height growth is deliberately throttled to achieve the best possible distribution of sap flow across all bud species. On fast-growing privet species, pruning is scheduled three times per season, while on slow-growing varieties, pruning twice is sufficient. How to train privet into a bushy, compact hedge:

    • The best dates are in February and the end of June (optionally in mid-August for the last time before winter)
    • First mark the course of the hedge with stretched cords for a conical cutting profile
    • Prune the previous growth back to 5 to 10 centimeters

    As illustrated below, each time you cut back, leave no more than 10 centimeters of the previous growth. You stay true to this strategy until you reach the target height. No concrete information can be given about the time frame for a hedge trimming. The local site conditions and the privet species determine the annual progress. In a sunny location with fresh, moist, high-quality garden soil, you can say goodbye to a hedge of common privet earlier in the maintenance phase than in a shady location with poor soil.

    Patience is rewarded when pruning a privet hedge step by step. If a maximum of 10 centimeters is added to the height after each cut, the hedge branches out with unbeatable density. The pyramidal shape prevents the branches from shading each other. In this way, your privet hedge cannot be bare near the ground.

    Rarely cut privet as an ornamental shrub - instructions for shape and maintenance pruning

    A harmoniously cultivated privet solitaire remains vital and floriferous for several years without the need for annual pruning. If the green gem loses its shape or deadwood spreads inside the bush, make a note of a shape and maintenance cut for early spring. How to proceed correctly:

    • Prune privet solitaire every 2 to 3 years from the 5th year
    • The best time is February to early March
    • Check the shrub for overwintering animals in advance in order to postpone the cut if necessary
    • Thin out deadwood and 2 to 4 of the oldest skeletal shoots to ground level in exchange for young ground shoots
    • Cut off excess and weak bottom shoots at the base

    Broom-like branching shoots protruding from the mold are slimmed down by a derivative cut, as shown in the figure below. Branches growing in the direction of the bush should be removed, as should shoots that grow crosswise or crosswise. After completing the pruning work, your privet solitaire should adorn the garden with a renovated basic structure and a shapely habit.

    Starting in the fifth year, thin out older scaffold shoots. A corresponding number of young bottom shoots are retained as replacements. Overcounted bottom shoots are removed. To keep the shape, trim the tips of the shoots with the help of a derivation cut.

    Derivative cut optimizes cut care - this is how it works

    If you dedicate yourself to the shape and maintenance cut on the solitary privet bush, you should be familiar with the cutting technique of the derivation. Instead of cutting off a privet shoot that is too long and overhanging, redirect the old wood to a younger side shoot. The particular advantage of this incision is that the intervention does not leave a significant gap in appearance. Rather, a young side shoot acts from now on as a new branch tip. The cutting measure is also aptly referred to as slimming. How to do it right:

    • Recommended cutting tool: One-hand pruning shears with bypass mechanism for a smooth cut
    • Select a short, young and vital side shoot on the privet shoot to be removed
    • Put the scissor blades on the fork of old and young wood

    Choose the concrete interface some millimeters past the crotch both shoots so that you do not cut into the young side shoot.

    tips

    Privet is not officially classified as a poisonous plant. Nevertheless, home gardeners sometimes complain about itchy patches of skin after pruning. The cause of the annoying irritation are slightly toxic components in the plant sap. Direct skin contact can cause privet eczema. Please wear protective gloves and long-sleeved clothing when cutting the solitaire and hedge.

    This is how your privet hedge stays in perfect shape - instructions topiary

    In contrast to the solitary shrub, a privet hedge requires regular pruning for a well-groomed appearance. How often you circle the hedge trimmer (77.00 €) depends on the growth potential and hedge size. The key date is in February, followed by a second appointment at the end of June. Strong-growing privet hedges receive a final topiary in mid to late August. How to cut your privet hedge correctly:

    • Before starting the trimming work, carefully inspect the hedge for birds and small animals
    • Stretch out strings as marking lines for straight lines and an advantageous trapezoidal shape
    • Thin out dead wood in advance in February
    • Trim the top of the hedge, if necessary from a sturdy ladder
    • Machine operations Guide hedge trimmers from behind with pivoting movements
    • Trim the sides of the hedge with your arms straight and off your shoulders

    When trimming the hedge, always choose a position with a view of the orientation aids and the uncut foliage area. It is important to keep your arms stretched out in order to avoid dents in the cutting profile. The figure below illustrates a suggested, conical hedge shape, which effectively prevents bare trees from inside and below.

    A pruning in February and June keeps the privet hedge in shape. If fast-growing varieties form a majestic hedge, a third time window for topiary opens in August.

    digression

    Cut privet hedge manually or electrically?

    The oval to lanceolate privet leaves remain 5 to 6 centimeters small. The foliage size is in the golden mean between pompous cherry laurel and filigree boxwood leaves. The choice between manual and mechanical hedge trimmers is therefore left to the gardener. There is no fear of privet leaves getting caught in the cutter bar of an electric hedge trimmer, as is common when cutting a cherry laurel hedge. Rather, flexible privet branches make trimming a hedge a gardening pleasure. From a hedge length of 10 meters and more, it makes sense to work with a motorized hedge trimmer. You can trim smaller hedges and bed borders either manually or with electric shrub shears.(68.00€)

    Privet cooperates even with the rejuvenation cut - instructions for solitaire and hedge

    Neglected pruning, adverse weather conditions or advancing age do not leave the privet unscathed as a shrub and hedge. If a conventional shape and maintenance cut is no longer sufficient, revitalize the deciduous tree with one radical rejuvenation cut. The good-natured pruning tolerance makes it possible to put the deciduous tree on the stick. Privet is one of the woody plants that prudently create dormant eyes in case of an emergency. The shrubs busily sprout again from these dormant vegetation points. How to properly rejuvenate privet as a shrub and hedge:

    • The best time is in winter during the months of November to February
    • Only cut when it is guaranteed that no animals will overwinter in the wood
    • Thin out dead shoots at ground level
    • Cut back remaining branches by half to two-thirds
    • Generously fertilize shrubs planted on the stick with compost and horn shavings

    As the laws of growth teach us, hard pruning is followed by vigorous budding. In June of the following year, cut back the young shoots by half to create vital branching at the base of the plant. Weak and unfavorable bottom shoots are removed. The care of the cut then leads to a targeted build-up cut, as recommended in this tutorial.

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    Fight the "silent spring" thanks to the Federal Nature Conservation Act

    Radical pruning measures on privet are subject to strict legal guidelines. The population of native breeding birds has deteriorated so dramatically since the late 1990s that “silent spring” is more than a visionary bogeyman. To ensure that our songbirds do not die out, the Federal Nature Conservation Act has issued precise deadlines for pruning trees. Trimming shrubs, hedges and trees is allowed from October 1st to February 28th. When the breeding season begins at the beginning of March, scissors and saws have to rest until the end of September. Maintenance cuts within the grace period are exceptionally permitted, provided that the cut is limited to this year's growth and no birds are disturbed during the breeding business.)

    frequently asked Questions

    How wide does privet 'Atrovirens' get if you let it grow as a solitary shrub without pruning?

    Uncut, the 'Atrovirens' variety reaches a width of 300 to 400 cm and a height of up to 500 cm. It is your personal decision to limit the growth in width to half by regular cuts.

    At the beginning of April I planted two specimens of the oval-leaved Ligustrum 'Aureum' to cultivate as solitary shrubs. Now after two weeks the leaves are turning brown in many places and falling off. At the same time, new shoots sprout in these places. Is that normal? Should I cut back the privet now so that it sprout vigorously from below?

    It is not uncommon for almost evergreen plants, such as Ligustrum ovalifolium, to lose some of their leaves after planting. It is a natural phenomenon known as plant shock. You will help the privet bushes through the tricky phase if you cut back all the shoots by a third or half.

    We plan to combine different types of privet and other ornamental shrubs as a loose hedge with a privacy function. There should not be a strictly formal hedge, but rather a group of solitary shrubs that protect against prying eyes. How does the cut care work?

    When making your selection, please pay attention to the different growth heights of the shrubs. In order to achieve the desired privacy, privet and other ornamental trees should achieve a similar final height. The pruning is aimed at a pyramidal shape. To do this, shorten the outer shoots by a third. In height, prune the growth in half. This allows all shrubs to branch well and still thrive when flooded with light.

    I want to cut dwarf privet into a spherical shape. How many plants should I put together to make a ball about 40 centimeters wide?

    The project can be realized most quickly if you plant three young plants with a height of 20 to 30 centimeters as a triangle with a planting distance of 10 to 15 centimetres. Since dwarf privet grows more slowly than its big brothers, it takes about a year to form a 40 centimeter high ball. For a compact growth we recommend a pruning. To train and maintain the spherical shape, trim dwarf privet at least twice a year. Best time is in February and June.

    For our privet hedge we would like a decorative underplanting. Which types and varieties are recommended?

    First and foremost, classic ground covers come into consideration as underplanting, such as the popular carpet medlar (Cotoneaster dammeri radicans). The ground covering version of the cherry laurel 'Mount Vernon' is well suited. If you want decorative splashes of color under green privet leaves, we would like to give you the golden strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata) and recommend the shade-tolerant Dalmatian bellflower (Campanula portenschlagiana).

    How do I cut back a large gold privet so that it does not bare the lower area?

    Goldliguster is just as tolerant of pruning as its conspecifics. We recommend a vigorous pruning back by a third or half with a pyramidal cutting profile. If the base of the bush is wider than the crown, the branches do not shade each other. The light penetrates deep into the bush, so that the growth of leaves and shoots does not come to a standstill there. The best time is in February, just before this year's budding begins.

    We are avid supporters of the common privet. For our small garden we are planning a hedge with a maximum height of 1 meter. Is the project realistic?

    With a regular pruning, it is easily possible to keep ordinary privet at a height of 1 meter. We recommend pruning in February, late June and mid-August to regulate height growth.

    Are the black berries on the privet edible?

    The small, black berries on the privet are poisonous to humans. Consumption can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. In earlier times, the privet berries were used to make ink or paint. The fruits are a coveted food source for birds and small animals. So far, more than 20 species of birds, such as song thrushes, blackbirds or bullfinches, have been observed eating the berries.

    The 3 most common cutting mistakes

    If a privet bush refuses the white flowers, turns into a shapeless undergrowth or does not offer any privacy as a hedge, one of the three most common pruning errors has struck. So that readers of this tutorial do not have to deal with such damage, the following table summarizes typical editing errors with tips for skilful prevention:

    cutting error damage picture prevention
    Prune the privet bush vigorously Failure of the early summer flowering period Thin out solitaire every few years, do not cut young blossoming wood
    never cleared premature senescence, dense network of old and young shoots Thin out the shrub and hedge regularly in February
    no planting and construction pruning loose growth of shoots that fall apart Plant pruning and gradual build-up pruning on shrubs and hedges

    tips

    Common privet (Ligustrum vulgare) is anything but common. The ecological treasure should not be missing in any natural garden. Privet flowers provide wild and honey bees with a coveted source of nectar and pollen. Butterflies, such as meadow birds, white butterflies, large ox-eyes or small tortoiseshells like to help themselves to the rich buffet. With more than 20 bird species, hearts beat faster when they can hide and breed in the dense branches. Countless feathered and furry garden dwellers feast on the black berries during the sparse winter season.

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Garden design