Hard Trim of a Corokia Hedge. Damage?

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tdgeek

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#289574 13-Sep-2021 19:11

Neighbour has one as do I, his one has grown out over the footpath, so he's ask me to use my petrol hedge trimmer to cut it back. No worries. Now he wants to leave it in case a hard cut back kills it. Will it? I have an Escalonia hedge and if I have cut back to hard, leaving just bare branches, Sun causes bare branches to leaf out. Not sure if Corokia will do the same. His hedge is about a metre wide and 900mm high, need to be cut back about a foot. Yes it will be very bare, but if it regrows well aided by Nitrogen, it may be worth cutting less, back past the leaves but not too hard, then let it fill in then do it again?

Edit: one side trim not the top

neb

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#2778347 14-Sep-2021 17:22

Corokia and similar hedge plants like buxus should be able to withstand a fairly hard pruning - that's why they're good for hedges, since it comes with the territory - but long-term you should be aiming for a haircut once or twice a year rather than a serious cut-back. The one thing I'd do is get something in writing, even just an email, where they instruct you to do the cut-back.

tdgeek

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#2778390 14-Sep-2021 18:26

neb: Corokia and similar hedge plants like buxus should be able to withstand a fairly hard pruning - that's why they're good for hedges, since it comes with the territory - but long-term you should be aiming for a haircut once or twice a year rather than a serious cut-back. The one thing I'd do is get something in writing, even just an email, where they instruct you to do the cut-back.

:-) I thought this highly common topic was not going to be replied to!

Yep, small trims work best but for the awesome neighbour its crept onto the footpath. He feels it will die if I cut back that side by one foot. It will be bare for sure, but its Spring, Nitrogen fertiliser is a boost, it should fill in ok. Im off the next two days, I will try to convince him that a 4 inch cutback now, let it fill in then another may do the trick. It wont die as we wouldnt be removing all green.

snnet

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#2778392 14-Sep-2021 18:28

I nothing really about plants but my neighbour deals with it with his job every day and he told me you can cut anything back hard in winter - so that's what I've been doing and it's been working

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#2778398 14-Sep-2021 18:38

snnet:

I nothing really about plants but my neighbour deals with it with his job every day and he told me you can cut anything back hard in winter - so that's what I've been doing and it's been working

Correct. Pruning promotes growth. Bugger, you cut my arm off so Ill grow another three. Thats how plants work. Re the hedge, there is a spine, thats the main trunk. Then you have a skeleton, thats the main branches off the trunk. Cut that back hard and its a tough comeback. Ill try and catch up with said neighbour next two days and report back. He thinks it will die so exploring other options, so Id like to have a crack. Spring, Nitrogen, prune, thats a good combo.