Privet Hedge - Definately not for Eating!!

[rayj]

Can anyone advise on how an established privet hedge should be trimmed? The hedge has been there for probably 40 or 50 years and for the purpose of a windshield as well as a boundary "fence".

Someone (apparantly a landscape gardener??) mentioned that the hedge which is about 6 to 6 foot 6 inches tall, should be cut up level with the roots. But surely if the roots on each side of the hedge are only two feet apart and the hedge is cut on both sides level with the roots, gravity will take its course and the hedge will topple over.

Has anyone any ideas??

[Jeanied]

Not sure what to tell you here - but you trim from the bottom of the hedge upwards, I do know that!!
Here's a link that may help - a bit - but not sure how close you need to trim it to the main trunk.
Pruning privet hedges

[lizzylemon]

Think I'll be chopping at mine then. It's half dead so don't see how I can make it much worse poor thing.

[Lovage]

Over time a privet hedge can get wider and wider til it takes up too much space and gets loose in the middle.
They can be reduced in width quite drastically but will soon green up and grow again.
I would though just trim one side at once.
If you do it now, check for birds nests first

[rayj]

My problem is that my neighbour took it upon themselves to cut the hedge "back" at their side to level with the roots, the whole way up. Admittedly my side had become a bit top heavy and with the heavy snow of the last two winters was causing it to topple over. Had they left it a bit thicker at the bottom and thinned it out (tapered it) going upwards it would have been alright.
Now that I am trying to cut into the hedge at my side, the fact that I want to keep it 6 foot 6 inches tall, it is still toppling into my garden. By "rule of thumb" the hedge is ours as it is on the right hand side as we look out our door. The other side of the hedge in the neighbours garden is therefore the boundary.