Discussion
I'm not an expert but keen to hear from those more green thumbed than I! Part of our hedge at the front is dead and parts have gone brown, including the hedge to the rear. The latter has been this summer and I think down to the relentless heat and lack of rain. Will these parts recover?
I'd like to know if the bare part at front will ever come back again or do I just take out and put new in? I have no idea what type of hedge it is.
Any idea what has caused this? It happened before the heat wave, I'd say end of summer 25.
I always keep an eye on the ivy that grows at the bottom and pull it out before it takes over, have done this over the last 10 years we have been here.
I'd like to know if the bare part at front will ever come back again or do I just take out and put new in? I have no idea what type of hedge it is.
Any idea what has caused this? It happened before the heat wave, I'd say end of summer 25.
I always keep an eye on the ivy that grows at the bottom and pull it out before it takes over, have done this over the last 10 years we have been here.
Mr Pointy said:
Huzzah said:
Good point, wait till spring.
It will then be too late to replant though.OP: scratch a bit of the bark back to see if it is green & moist underneath (still alive) or brown & dry (it's a gonner).
Mr Pointy said:
Huzzah said:
Good point, wait till spring.
It will then be too late to replant though.OP: scratch a bit of the bark back to see if it is green & moist underneath (still alive) or brown & dry (it's a gonner).
Mr Pointy said:
Huzzah said:
Good point, wait till spring.
It will then be too late to replant though.OP: scratch a bit of the bark back to see if it is green & moist underneath (still alive) or brown & dry (it's a gonner).
(Sorry I'm always moaning about nesting birds.)
Thank you all for collective input. Having given it some logic, I'm hoping the rear hedge will come back once we get some rain. The brown patches are where the sun has got it at various times of the day. We still have the Thames Water hosepipe ban otherwise I'd be watering it, as daft as watering a hedge sounds.
On the front I'm not so confident. Having looked at some photos I took in July 25, I can see the now bare section had light green leaves compared to the dark green remaining section. My wife noticed some random invasive weed and so pulled it out last autumn. This spring there were the signs of a few green shoots but these quickly disappeared with the drought like conditions. I'll try scrubbing back some of the brown to see if there are anybsigns of life but it seems pretty brittle to me.
On the front I'm not so confident. Having looked at some photos I took in July 25, I can see the now bare section had light green leaves compared to the dark green remaining section. My wife noticed some random invasive weed and so pulled it out last autumn. This spring there were the signs of a few green shoots but these quickly disappeared with the drought like conditions. I'll try scrubbing back some of the brown to see if there are anybsigns of life but it seems pretty brittle to me.
Honey fungus is a major killer of privet hedging and will eventually kill the whole lot, so may be worth checking, but again it could quite simply be due to the dry spell we've had, or even its reached the end of its life (as they do live forever).
Its not that expensive to buy at a decent height from some of the hedge specialists. I think Hedges Direct are currently offering a 2m plant for £52, but you can get 20% off that if you ask them.
I've just bought quite a lot of hedging (around 20m worth), around 6-8ft in height from HedgesHedges who I'd recommend as the plants seem very good, but they don't appear to do privet.
Its not that expensive to buy at a decent height from some of the hedge specialists. I think Hedges Direct are currently offering a 2m plant for £52, but you can get 20% off that if you ask them.
I've just bought quite a lot of hedging (around 20m worth), around 6-8ft in height from HedgesHedges who I'd recommend as the plants seem very good, but they don't appear to do privet.
si_xsi said:
Thank you all for collective input. Having given it some logic, I'm hoping the rear hedge will come back once we get some rain. The brown patches are where the sun has got it at various times of the day. We still have the Thames Water hosepipe ban otherwise I'd be watering it, as daft as watering a hedge sounds.
On the front I'm not so confident. Having looked at some photos I took in July 25, I can see the now bare section had light green leaves compared to the dark green remaining section. My wife noticed some random invasive weed and so pulled it out last autumn. This spring there were the signs of a few green shoots but these quickly disappeared with the drought like conditions. I'll try scrubbing back some of the brown to see if there are anybsigns of life but it seems pretty brittle to me.
What about a watering can?On the front I'm not so confident. Having looked at some photos I took in July 25, I can see the now bare section had light green leaves compared to the dark green remaining section. My wife noticed some random invasive weed and so pulled it out last autumn. This spring there were the signs of a few green shoots but these quickly disappeared with the drought like conditions. I'll try scrubbing back some of the brown to see if there are anybsigns of life but it seems pretty brittle to me.
Hobo said:
Honey fungus is a major killer of privet hedging and will eventually kill the whole lot, so may be worth checking, but again it could quite simply be due to the dry spell we've had, or even its reached the end of its life (as they do not live forever).
OP, here are the symptoms of Honey Fungus:https://www.rhs.org.uk/disease/honey-fungus
You do mention that the leaves were pale last year which is one of the symptoms.
si_xsi said:
Thank you all for collective input.
Having given it some logic, I'm hoping the rear hedge will come back once we get some rain. The brown patches are where the sun has got it at various times of the day.
On the front I'm not so confident. Having looked at some photos I took in July 25, I can see the now bare section had light green leaves compared to the dark green remaining section..... ... I'll try scrubbing back some of the brown to see if there are anybsigns of life but it seems pretty brittle to me.
Sound reasonable to me. Having given it some logic, I'm hoping the rear hedge will come back once we get some rain. The brown patches are where the sun has got it at various times of the day.
On the front I'm not so confident. Having looked at some photos I took in July 25, I can see the now bare section had light green leaves compared to the dark green remaining section..... ... I'll try scrubbing back some of the brown to see if there are anybsigns of life but it seems pretty brittle to me.
The rear with its patchy brown but living bits looks more more likely to recover from what I see on the photos.
Brittle isn't a good sign.
Privet is a good hedge plant and usually pretty reslient.
We're on a sandstone ridge, mature pines, grass brown for 2/3 of the lawn, very dry overall, if not as bad as the south. Privet hedge didnt bat an eyelid. Green all summer.
Mr Pointy said:
OP: scratch a bit of the bark back to see if it is green & moist underneath (still alive) or brown & dry (it's a gonner).
OP - Do this, this will tell you if you are wasting your time, scratch bit of the branches and progressively move down to the trunk and down to the floor, Do it with your nail. If it is brown all the way it is gone. If you get to the main trunk and its still green there is a chance next year. It may survive if you give it a really hard cut as long as there is some green under the bark/top layerGassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff