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  Benji's Gardening Service April 8, 2012 at 6:27pm

  They are wanting as much as they can get off it (between a third and a half?!) would that be ok on the senecio and viburnum. Doing it for a mate so trying to get it done cheaply. Could i just cut it back a bit and if it dies. re plant it? also will fertilising after i cut it back do any good?
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  Phil Crossley April 8, 2012 at 7:19pm

  Pics 1 & 2 are Hebe, which when they get to that age tend to keel over and die when you cut them back, pic 3 looks like Brachyglottis Sunshine which does not like being cut back at all ( dont ask me how I know!) 5 looks like Viburnum Davidii to me, that will cut back ok. But basically the advice you have been given is correct. Dig it all out and start again. Silk purse out of sows ear etc
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  Dan Frazer Gardening April 8, 2012 at 7:40pm

  Your mate will end up falling out with you for killing their hadge - pass the job on to someone else if they insist but do advise them the hedge will NOT recover from a hard trim.
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  Paul McNulty April 8, 2012 at 9:02pm

  Ouch! If you look at the second-from-last picture, that's what most of the hedge will look like if you cut it back into the dead wood. You'll be lucky if much recovers at all.

  If you do go against advice and try to restore it, only cut back one side. The plants that will recover will have some chance that way, you can reduce the height or the other side in couple of year's time.
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  David Benson April 8, 2012 at 11:44pm

  ditto start again is there a second hedge behind? also it looks like its on a river estuary (possible morecambe bay) if its wind swept salt laden air a wind brake mesh will be good for a new hedge
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  Kieran Ray April 9, 2012 at 1:40pm

  Only option in my opinion is to rip it out and start again. As others have suggested, use plants that are better suited to the local enviroment. If your friend dosent mind waiting, then go for bare root as the plants are usually about a 5th of the price of potted plants.
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  Mark Watson April 10, 2012 at 8:59pm

  ..what Brigitt said, then give it a  good feed and ideally compost mulch as well.
  
  Brigitt Stevenson said:

  Hello Benji,

  You have such a mixture of hedging material here, unfortunately..

  I would recommend if it is a keeper, prune out as much Dead wood as possible, thin it out and then shear it to the desired height...
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  Paul McNulty April 10, 2012 at 9:45pm

  I'd council caution here. Don't tell the client that two people on a forum said it would recover well so go ahead and cut it back hard!

  There are different plants in the hedge, and they are in different conditions. The first pictures, the hebe might well respond to hard pruning. The portion of hedge in the last two pictures will not, it's dead and gone. Some plants you cannot cut into the dead wood, you have to cut back only so far as new growth. No amount of thinning and removing dead wood is going to turn that last picture in to a healthy hedge in our lifetime.

  Some parts are possibly worth restoring, but others need replanting as they're too far gone. I'd say it's easier to replant the whole thing with a better mix of plants myself. Looking at the bloke in the picture the hedge must be at least 8' wide in parts, it's a monster.
  
  Mark Watson said:

  ..what Brigitt said, then give it a  good feed and ideally compost mulch as well.
  
  Brigitt Stevenson said:

  Hello Benji,

  You have such a mixture of hedging material here, unfortunately..

  I would recommend if it is a keeper, prune out as much Dead wood as possible, thin it out and then shear it to the desired height...
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  Mark Watson April 12, 2012 at 12:14pm

  Don't put words into my mouth please Paul, no-one is saying cut it back hard and we certainly don't say "it will recover". Brigitt clearly said "if it is a keeper". Some customers simply won't countenance a rip out and replant, I would say that that would be unwise anyway at this time of year.
  
  Paul McNulty said:

  I'd council caution here. Don't tell the client that two people on a forum said it would recover well so go ahead and cut it back hard!

  There are different plants in the hedge, and they are in different conditions. The first pictures, the hebe might well respond to hard pruning. The portion of hedge in the last two pictures will not, it's dead and gone. Some plants you cannot cut into the dead wood, you have to cut back only so far as new growth. No amount of thinning and removing dead wood is going to turn that last picture in to a healthy hedge in our lifetime.

  Some parts are possibly worth restoring, but others need replanting as they're too far gone. I'd say it's easier to replant the whole thing with a better mix of plants myself. Looking at the bloke in the picture the hedge must be at least 8' wide in parts, it's a monster.
  
  Mark Watson said:

  ..what Brigitt said, then give it a  good feed and ideally compost mulch as well.
  
  Brigitt Stevenson said:

  Hello Benji,

  You have such a mixture of hedging material here, unfortunately..

  I would recommend if it is a keeper, prune out as much Dead wood as possible, thin it out and then shear it to the desired height...
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  Paul McNulty April 12, 2012 at 9:49pm

  Sorry, Mark, wasn't trying to change what you are saying or put words in your mouth. All I want to get across is that no amount of cutting back, mulching etc. will save what's in the last picture on the OP's post. Keeper or not, that hedge has dead sections, and I think the poster should be honest with the client.

  As you say, no-one is saying it will recover. Whether it's a "keeper" or not, some parts of the hedge need to be replaced, and my advice is to tell the client that. If they want to try to cut it back and hope it will recover, I'd avoid the job as I can't see it being a happy client at the end of the day? Pruning out the dead wood and reducing the height to "desired height" won't work for some sections of what's in the pictures IMO.
  
  Mark Watson said:

  Don't put words into my mouth please Paul, no-one is saying cut it back hard and we certainly don't say "it will recover". Brigitt clearly said "if it is a keeper". Some customers simply won't countenance a rip out and replant, I would say that that would be unwise anyway at this time of year