Project Hedge Privet

[Viggoman]

Someone in my neighbourhood had dug up a hedge of lingustrum/privets. The base is thick, and I definetly see potential if it survives some heavy pruning, which privets usually do.

Plan is to remove all but two trunks in the spring, and create a double trunk styled tree. I will also prune these back to approx 5cm to create some drastic taper.

Will update this post as I do work on this

 

[Dabbler]

Free neighborhood trees are always fun!

 

[BrianBay9]

It would be useful if you included a general location in your profile. Privet are nearly indestructible, even when collected out of season. I've picked up some that were in a dumpster for a week in summer and they survived. Good luck with this one.

 

[Viggoman]

It would be useful if you included a general location in your profile. Privet are nearly indestructible, even when collected out of season. I've picked up some that were in a dumpster for a week in summer and they survived. Good luck with this one.

I'm pretty new to this forum, I will add that

 

[defra]

nice looks like a decent size trunk to start off with!
these are real strong growers the ones ive got in the ground had barely any roots and no more leaves when i rescued them and i planted them in the ground and they grew like nothing ever happend.
Reminds me i have to check on them in spring maybe i can scoop one or two out and start growing in a pot as pre bonsai

 

[Viggoman]

nice looks like a decent size trunk to start off with!
these are real strong growers the ones ive got in the ground had barely any roots and no more leaves when i rescued them and i planted them in the ground and they grew like nothing ever happend.
Reminds me i have to check on them in spring maybe i can scoop one or two out and start growing in a pot as pre bonsai

Thats good to hear. It will have to tolerate some hard work to go anywhere, so good to hear. You think it will survive removal of some of the branches/trunks I will remove later anyway? Thinking spreading out the removal of large parts to reduce stress, and hopefully better cut healing

 

[defra]

Thats good to hear. It will have to tolerate some hard work to go anywhere, so good to hear. You think it will survive removal of some of the branches/trunks I will remove later anyway? Thinking spreading out the removal of large parts to reduce stress, and hopefully better cut healing

just let the roots establish now first Everytime you touch the tree after the rescue you can possibly dammage the newly forming roots.
In the mean time study the tree and look for the best trunk line in combination with the root base and make a plan they are tough but doesnt mean you have to push it to its limits the healthier the better it will recover and for now it needs to recover.
Once you know what to keep and what to chop off execute that plan in spring so the tree can start growing and recovering in the place you want l.
i dont expect a private to do it but then you are sure that the things you want to keep are still alive and didnt suffer from dieback
I know it sucks to wait sometimes as you are eager to work on your new projects Haha
Norway gets way colder then the Netherlands so maybe see if it needs anything special om that front !

 

[Viggoman]

just let the roots establish now first Everytime you touch the tree after the rescue you can possibly dammage the newly forming roots.
In the mean time study the tree and look for the best trunk line in combination with the root base and make a plan they are tough but doesnt mean you have to push it to its limits the healthier the better it will recover and for now it needs to recover.
Once you know what to keep and what to chop off execute that plan in spring so the tree can start growing and recovering in the place you want l.
i dont expect a private to do it but then you are sure that the things you want to keep are still alive and didnt suffer from dieback
I know it sucks to wait sometimes as you are eager to work on your new projects Haha
Norway gets way colder then the Netherlands so maybe see if it needs anything special om that front !

This upcoming winter is my biggest concern for this tree indeed, can get pretty cold, and currently its a little too big to store in my shed. I'll let it recover until spring then. Thanks

 

[Viggoman]

Tree seemed to be nicely rooted in the pot, so I decided to get around to the drastic pruning. For lingustrum hedges its recommended to hard prune before April in Norway, so I did.
Before:

After:


I have applied cutpaste to all wounds as well. But for the future I kinda see a nice deadwood feature as part of this tree