A privet question

Because reasons Id like to lop around a foot in height off my hedge.

Do you think it’ll survive? Should I wait till it’s growing again or can I just chop with the gay abandon?

I’ve found hedging of all sorts is pretty resilient. It might look ugly till it shoots again next year but unlikely to die.

I’m not an expert, but do like to use a hedge trimmer with gay abandon.

Ten inch high hedge, no. Badness occurs.

Anything bigger than three feet, have at it. If you want it a foot shorter, take just under a foot and a half off so after a year the top is at the desired height with lightweight green stuff on top, not the woody stumps of the haircut.

Yes, it will be fine, privet is pretty bombproof. Remember to cut about 4″ further down than you want the eventual height to be, so that you can trim the regrowth. Any time over winter is fine, main thing is to avoid bird nesting season from March onwards.

Late winter just so you don’t have so long looking at an ugly short hedge. But otherwise I defy anyone to kill or damage privet of all things by over-pruning. I’ve got a seedling growing in a stone wall and can I kill it? Can I bugger.

Have you considered employing the services of a privet detective?

Cheers folks, it’s getting it then.

The top of a hedge can look ugly freshly lopped so maybe take it off the bottom.