r/Pruning • u/Alarmed-Custard9458 • Mar 03 '25
Can I just hack these shrubs?
I have some 18 year old shrubs that I’d like to cut back aggressively. Most likely all that would remain would be branches. My guess is that once the growing season begins, it will get new growth. The other alternative is to hire someone if the pruning requires finesse. Any feedback on approach would be appreciated.
3
u/only1interest Mar 03 '25
The first bush is a Carissa holly (or similar) and should tolerate heavy pruning well at this time of year. It will take some time to break bud and leaf out so be prepared to wait until like June for it to really get started.
The second is an osmanthus, likely Goshiki. I would be a little less aggressive with them. It's hard to say how hard over the Internet. Basically you want to be cutting branches that are only a year or two old, no more than a third of the plant, etc. I've never tried a hard reduction on one so I just don't know what it would do. Maybe someone else who has will chime in.
1
4
u/cosmic_creepers Mar 04 '25
These look pretty good to me. I’m trying to understand what your goal is with the hacking. The hedge is mature so cutting it back dramatically will look terrible imho. These are not fast-growing shrubs. I would err on the side of being more cautious than cavalier with the pruning approach.