Q.
I have a neighbor concerned about his rosemary and boxwood hedges. The foliage
has been falling off. Landscapers recommend he cut them to the ground to get
them to recover but he opted to cut them back halfway instead. Now there is a
lot of bare wood exposed with no leaves. What should he do to help them recover?
A.
When plants are continuously pruned with a hedge shears it causes them to get
thick and bushy.
This increases their leaf density on
the outer edges of the hedge. This causes the interior of the hedge to become
very dark and the stems on the inside of the hedge to drop their leaves.
I have a neighbor concerned about his rosemary and boxwood hedges. The foliage
has been falling off. Landscapers recommend he cut them to the ground to get
them to recover but he opted to cut them back halfway instead. Now there is a
lot of bare wood exposed with no leaves. What should he do to help them recover?
A.
When plants are continuously pruned with a hedge shears it causes them to get
thick and bushy.
This increases their leaf density onthe outer edges of the hedge. This causes the interior of the hedge to become
very dark and the stems on the inside of the hedge to drop their leaves.
They also drop their leaves because
the wood on the inside is old. All the new growth occurs where the hedge is
being cut over and over. So perhaps only an inch or two along the outer surface
of the hedge has leaves.
the wood on the inside is old. All the new growth occurs where the hedge is
being cut over and over. So perhaps only an inch or two along the outer surface
of the hedge has leaves.
If we cut the hedge back more than a
couple of inches, we expose the older wood that has no leaves. The wood is
alive, but without leaves. Once this interior wood begins to receive sunlight
again, new growth will sprout from this older wood.
couple of inches, we expose the older wood that has no leaves. The wood is
alive, but without leaves. Once this interior wood begins to receive sunlight
again, new growth will sprout from this older wood.
The rate of growth from this older
wood depends on the plant. Rosemary grows faster than boxwood. If he is
patient, he will eventually start to see new growth coming from the older wood.
Boxwood will also have new growth but will fill in slower than rosemary.
wood depends on the plant. Rosemary grows faster than boxwood. If he is
patient, he will eventually start to see new growth coming from the older wood.
Boxwood will also have new growth but will fill in slower than rosemary.
If he is patient both hedges will
eventually slowly fill back in but boxwood will be much slower. In cases like
these most people do not want to look at an ugly the hedge for the next few
years and would elect to replace the damaged plants.
eventually slowly fill back in but boxwood will be much slower. In cases like
these most people do not want to look at an ugly the hedge for the next few
years and would elect to replace the damaged plants.
Once plants are cut with hedge
shears for a few years over and over they are very difficult to reestablish again
as plants that are not shaped like a hedge.
shears for a few years over and over they are very difficult to reestablish again
as plants that are not shaped like a hedge.