What can I do with my hard-pruned conifer hedge?
QJack Benne , Braintree, Essex
AThe majority of conifers don’t make growth from old wood so if they’re cut back hard they’ll remain looking very unattractive. If you decide to have it taken out, have the stumps winched out as conifers have very fibrous root systems, making it difficult to replant. Opt for a contractor from the Arboricultural Association or BALI. As it’s illegal to disturb nesting birds, the work may need to be delayed until autumn.
You can replant with another
conifer, the advantage being conifers are fast growing. They can be kept as narrow as 60cm (24in) by regular clipping every August. I’d opt for Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
‘Green Hedger’, a wonderful bright green.
Alternatively, broad-leaved evergreens are easier to manage if they grow too wide as you can cut hard back in spring and they’ll resprout from old wood. My choice would be Pittosporum
tenuifolium, which is naturally quite upright in growth but in a cold garden in Essex it might get singed by cold winter winds.
Cotoneaster lacteus or Elaeagnus ebbingei will be bomb-proof!