What is this and how do I fix it?

[Natalie]

I have this line of shrubs (that now look like trees, 10+ ft tall) on my lot line. I was talking to the neighbors who said that the people who lived here a long time ago used to keep them pruned such that they were a 6 ft tall hedge that you couldn't see through. The people who lived here before us for 8 years did nothing to them and now they look like junk. They get no flowers or berries. So! Can anyone tell me what these are and how I might be able prune them back into hedge form? BTW, I am in south central WI.

 

[vfem]

These honestly look to have lived their lives?! I would suggest starting new.... If you were to cut them down... like to 2', perhaps in a few year they will grow back fuller, you just have to keep them under control.

However, I don't know what kind they are. There are some shrubs and trees that really don't last beyond 15 years where they have are just barely alive. We have a 15 year old tree, who's lived its life. Everyone in the neighbor has one of these trees.... we're all helping each other take these trees down to plant something else.

I really hope you find a way to get a nice hedge there... I think they make wonderful privacy screens... and much nicer then fences.

 

[Natalie]

Darn, that's a lot of trees to pull and a lot of something else to plant. Anyone have any other ideas?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have no idea what it is. Unless they did some type of self-pruning they just don't look like something that would make a hedge. I do agree they are not real attractive. It looks like they might be in shade. Has this shade happened in the last 8 years? That may be why it does not grow like a hedge anymore, even without pruning.

I don't know what your time frame is, but since your neighbor said they made a hedge, you could cut them off about a foot off the ground and see what happens this summer. Without putting a lot of work into it now, you should know by this fall if it will form a hedge or if you need to remove them and try something else.

 

[Catalina]

Sorry I don't know what kind of hedge that is, but my Dad used to cut the hedge, in front of our house, down to bare branches every spring and in a month the filled out to a full thick hedge.

Sometimes he would procrastinate and cut the hedge down later in the spring. If he didn't cut it down it would grow thin and scraggily branches.

 

[miron28]

cut them down a foot below were you want them and they will grow back !!

 

[Natalie]

Thanks everyone! I think we'll try cutting them back and see what happens. If they die, then I will just have to let them go.

 

[momofdrew]

I have to agree with the others trim them down to about 2 ft and see what happens... they look like some type of spirea maybe a privit but dont take my word for it...either of those take trimming well

 

[Hattie the Hen]

At least when you cut them down (or back) you will have lots of branches with which to make wonderful screens & trellis etc for your garden. There's a wonderful post on here somewhere with photos of what can be done.

Personally I would start by cutting them back to 3ft high & see what happens. Then, at least, if they still look bad after a year you will still have enough trunk to get a chain round to pull them out!

I live in the UK so I don't know a lot about your trees but I have a habit of growing really rampant roses over ugly trees. A rose nursery over there could tell you what is availiable. There are some climbing/rambling roses like Kiftsgate & Paul's Himalayan Musk which will climb 20ft plus.

Hope you solve your problem --Good Luck


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[patandchickens]

It could be privet or honeysuckle, can't see well enough to be sure.

If you want to keep it, then rather than cutting it TOTALLY down to the ground, can I suggest cutting HALF the branches down (to 12-18") and give them a year or two to sprout back before cutting down the other half of 'em. (That is, each plant gets only half-cut-down). This is less hard on the plant than levelling it all at once, which plants doin' poorly to begin with may not survive (or may survive so grudgingly that it takes years before they start putting up any meaningful size shoots)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat