How to Cut a Privet Hedge
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Privet can be pruned into a formal hedge or left in its natural shape.garden decoration in front of yew hedge image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
Determine your style. Your privet can be grown informally as a single specimen or in the back of a border, which won't require much pruning. If you have several planted close together for a more formal privacy hedge, you will want to prune it back at least two or three times a year to keep it shaped and neat. - 2
Large loppers will cut thicker branches.s??cateurs image by Claudio Calcagno from Fotolia.com
Choose your tool. You will need loppers for the thicker branches and small pruning shears for the smaller branches. If you are trimming a formal hedge, choose the electric trimmer. Buy good quality tools and keep them sharpened for the best pruning results. - 3
Cut back when buds appear so you can identify dead branches.leaf buds image by palms from Fotolia.com
Cut back in early spring when there are buds forming on the branches. This will make it easier to identify dead branches. For an informal look, or to revive and older, overgrown shrub, cut away any dead branches that are showing no signs of budding out. Starting at the bottom with your loppers, cut as close to the main stem as possible. Work your way up, careful not to trim away branches with buds. With the smaller pruners, cut back the smaller branches to where buds start to appear, or further back if you want to keep the shrub small. You can cut a privet to any size you desire, so have no fear. - 4). Use the electric hedge trimmers to shear the sides and tops of the hedge for a more formal look. It is important to shape a privet hedge so that the top is narrower than the bottom. This allows sunlight to reach the lower part of the hedge. Shear the sides first. If the hedge is overgrown, uneven or hasn't yet been trimmed to a formal shape, you can run a string between two stakes to mark the desired height of the hedge before shearing the top. This will help keep it even. Shear along the top at the height of the string.
