Removing An Overgrown Evergreen Shrub. Is Pruning It Back An Option?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2022
- Eventually, evergreen shrubs along house foundations can become overgrown. And how much can you prune back before it starts looking “tough”? Take a look at the removal process to see if you are up for the task.
A couple quick observations. A power pole saw could be used to make removing easier as it allows you to reach in and cuts fast without exposing the operator to dangerous kick back.
Gloves will reduce the damage from a slip with a hand saw. I’ve got myself quite a few times, and standard clothes gloves will help some. There are cut resistant landscaping gloves available, typically cost $15 from what I’ve seen, haven’t tested out the cut resistance yet since the few times I’ve worn them I wasn’t using a hand saw. Given how easily a slip with a hand saw can cut to the bone and or cut tendons, I’d recommend using the cut resistant ones.
Fiskars makes Stik Pruners that have a variable angle head and don’t use a string. There’s a 4 or 5 foot version, and an extendable 8-12 foot version. I highly recommend these for pruning. This is more a general comment than specific to this video, though the 4 foot ones are also nice for low cuts as well so you don’t need to get on your hands and knees to make those pruning cuts.
We've been enjoying your videos the last couple days. What strikes me about this particular situation (we have similar giant shrubs in front of windows) is that people plant too close to houses. By all means, put something, but it seems like it's been standard practice to leave the yard bare grass for 80% from the sidewalk and then plant right up on the foundation. I wish we could teleport everything right up onto the sidewalk instead. Wish people would've planted more trees 50 years ago around here. Thanks!
Again! Advice that I needed!❤
This video was really helpful. I have 3 shrubs I was going to remove but will try this method to remove and then conceal. Thanks very much!
no gloves or safety glasses. wow. did learn some things. gonna try to reduce my overgrown bushes.
I wish I had that Yew
Do you have to do anything to the roots? We have a yew we want to take out and were told we have to take out as much of the root as possible? Is this needed? Or will it just die off with the technique you've shown? thanks!
The roots will most definitely de-compose over time. So it depends on what you are planning to do after you cut the Yew back. I was just planting herbaceous perennials that are more surface rooted and I added soil on top that they can easily establish roots in. As time goes on, those new plants will start rooting into the decomposing root area. If you are looking to plant underground with larger root balls, with new plants grown at a nursery, yes, you may have to remove some of the old roots, but not necessarily all. A recommendation that is often used is to dig the hole twice the size as the root ball. A hole this size with fresh soil will allow the new plant to establish easily and then the roots will eventually venture into the decomposing area. The forest floor is sprouting new plants all the time. Imagine the amount of roots underground in a constant state of decomposition and regeneration.
Hope this helps.
I have a massive one in my front yard around the size you started with. Can I cut them way down to the point you did right before you removed them? Right now in the spring?
I live in an area with a short growing season so I have never had much luck. But maybe that is more of a patience thing; did not want to look at bare trunks all season as the process is a slow rebound for our area. Another commenter alerted me to the fact that they will flush out new growth nicely (not sure what zone), so maybe it’s worth a try. In our area (northern great plains) spring before plants break dormancy is a good time to re-juvenate most plants.
Im doing a job at a house thats been abandoned for 10 years, the customer wants to try to save the shrubs if possible, but i dont know what type of shrubs they are exactly. Whats a good way to figure out what they are to know if they are worth trying to cut back or just remove?
I’d start by taking a stem cutting with several leaves and go to an area garden center/nursery that sells shrubs and trees. You can match them up or hopefully find a knowledgeable employee that is good at identification for your area. The iPhone also has an identification function (or I’m sure there are apps available too). On a plant photo, tap the small leaf in the middle of the photo and it will bring up names and descriptions (it’s not always accurate).
Question. My neighbor has some of these bushes that are growing over a sidewalk. I need to cut back more then a foot. This would remove all the green on the front of the bush. Would it grow back. I’m not touching the top or sides. Thanks
Before I started this channel, I would have said no. I have never had much luck getting Yews to re-sprout. But it could have been my (and customers') lack of patience. Apparently, Yews will push out new growth after cutting them back, and a foot sounds like a reasonable amount. But from what I've read, it can take a while, maybe even more than a year, before they look good again. If you live in an area with a longer growing season (I don't), I think the odds of it looking good again are in your favor.
I have threes yews that were in a informal hedge, and I took out the middle one to try and seperate them but I was left with almost half of the two sides bare. Do you think the sides will fill in or not? Or should I just cut the other two down?
They may re-sprout, but it’s a patience game. If you have a short growing season, it may take several years before they look “normal” again.
Gotcha. Thanks for the info!
I want to prune my yews very low to they are short and rounded. Like a small, low round firework. Any words of wisdom?
If you want to keep them small and are starting from a small plant, shear once in the spring before they break dormancy and then again after they have flushed out their spring growth. You can keep them small for many years but need to stay on top of it each year. If you are starting from large plants (like the video) and want to suddenly make them small (1-2 feet tall), you are out of luck. You could reduce the size by about 1/3 on large plants. You are likely to start seeing injury that won’t come back beyond that reduction. Good luck.
@@gardenhike Thank you for the response! I do believe I’m out of luck! 😵💫
How many yews were planted there?
Three
They were between 20-25 years old.
What a waste. Actually yew is known for its ability to regenarate from old wood. It can be cut back hard and it will regenerate beautifully.
I agree. I actually tried to talk the customer into leaving them but realized they were coming out with our without me, so I took the job. I've learned landscaping is like interior decorating; sometimes, we want a change and a fresh look. On rejuvenation pruning (after re-watching the video), I wish I had been clearer. While that Yew might well live and come back from a 50-90 percent cut-back, it could be a 2-3 year wait before (if) it looks good. That could be because I live in a region with short growing seasons, but they don't respond as quickly as deciduous shrubs. The customer wanted plants much smaller (I believe for security reasons) but wanted them to look good immediately. My mindset for the video was to inform how much you could cut back the shrub before it starts looking "tough." And that would help you decide whether to remove it if you were in a similar situation. Thanks for the comment, and I hope this clarifies any questions from other viewers.