Hi there, I have a three sided hedge of waxleaf privets (about 40-50 plants total) that is 20 years old. In the last few years I had one plant begin to look bad, and it has spread to the neighboring five plants. Last year I cut back three of the worst plants, but they didn't come back very well. This morning I see yet another plant with dead branches. I'm trying to decide whether to just cut them all down to the ground and hope they come back in the spring, or just cut them down and remove the stumps. So, my question is: If I cut the privets down to the ground, how likely are they to recover in the spring (babying them with water and fertilizer)? Thanks for your help. |