Can evergreen shrubs be cut back in the fall?
September 18th, 2008 by admin
cass asked:
We have inherited a home where the shrubs(holly, hemlocks) are twice the size they need to be. In order for contractors to access the gutters and windows, we need to trim them back significantly. Is there a proper way to proceed with this, without harming them? We live in the northeast, so temps are in the 20-40’s.
We have inherited a home where the shrubs(holly, hemlocks) are twice the size they need to be. In order for contractors to access the gutters and windows, we need to trim them back significantly. Is there a proper way to proceed with this, without harming them? We live in the northeast, so temps are in the 20-40’s.
- Posted in Shrubs
September 18th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
yes you can trim all you want and it will not harm the plant.. the only thing is.. because of the time of year, you may have to look at ugly bushes until the spring, when they start to grow again.. so its up to you to look at overgrown plants, or cut back stubs for awhile.. if i were you, and the bushes are really twice the size you want.. i would cut them back a bit more than you really want, so when spring comes, the new stems that grown will then grow a few inches and that will fill in the extra inches that you want and the bushes will be full of new growth and extra green in the spring
September 19th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Not if you don’t want to kill them.
Use a large sheet or tarp and cover them and tie them back and out of the way so your contractors can work best they can. If they are professional, they will be able to work around it.
Even implosion pyrotechnitions have to tear down buildings without harming the next building! I think a contractor can work around a shrub.
September 21st, 2008 at 11:46 pm
it will not harm them to cut them back now you should use a chainsaw,then in the spring thell start growing back and looking nice,when you cut them it will look ugly.its a known fact that every time you cut off a little branch two will grow back in its place. now is the perfect time to cut them because the snow is coming so it will hid the ugly bush,by next summer thell look good.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
there should be no problem in cutting them back. but please converse with a local nursery or tree surgeon before hacking into the area.