Hedge Pruning

Before

After. The idea is that new grow will be forced along the branches and fill in the bush.

Hedge at the side also in need of rejuvenation.  It had only three main stocks on each bush, but they had grown  5 meters, so I could only take them down to about 1 meter. 

Here is a honeysuckle hedge that has been neglected for years.  The rule of thumb in remedial pruning is to only take out 1/3 of the old growth each year.  So long lanky limbs remain even after you have done your best to get a shrub back on track.  It is a three year process. It looks drastic, but because it is early Spring there is lots of time for new growth to sprout and form an effective screen to give privacy from  the neighbours.  What is desired is that new shoots will be forced along the branches and provide a denser mass of branches.