Cutting back hedge bushes

[Bigsnowdog]

I had a fellow tell me that if I cut Honeysuckle or other bushes down to the ground when they are dormant that they will come back in the spring and it would help to invigorate them.

Is that true? It makes me nervous, as I fear they would not come back.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

This is called Rejuvenation by horticlturists down here. Very dependable on most species, but yes, it does take an act of faith.

 

[Bigsnowdog]

Is there, in your view, any best time?

 

[fmueller]

You could prune them back to shape in the spring after they flower. You don't need to hack it all the way back to the ground. A good pruning will do the same.

 

[Bigsnowdog]

The honeysuckle row is only about 50 feet long, so I suppose I could prune it as you suggest. From a speed point of view, I prefer to use a chainsaw.

Perhaps better perspective on scale can be found in my other project, a reforestation project in which I have rows of bushes. In total I have probably 1500 feet of bushes, so as you can see, pruning, at least with pruning tools, is out of the question for any larger scale work.

So, by pruning, are you cutting it back by half? Is there any strategy to this?

 

[fmueller]

I thought you had one bush so pruning in that case would be to selectively cut branches to get the form or shape you wanted. In this case since you have a 50 ft. row whacking them back about half way should do the trick for ya. I take it that this is the kind of honeysuckle that is common to IA and not some special hybrid or anything fancy?
P.S. Is that your dog?

 

[Bigsnowdog]

Yes, I believe it is a common species.

No, it is not my dog. I have had Alaskan Malamutes for years, however. Typically black and white.

 

[fmueller]

Should be safe then. You could cut back the bigger older stems more severely. Good luck and have fun!
P.S. Are you near C.R.?

 

[Bigsnowdog]

So, given that, is it bad to cut them to the ground? Given what you said about cutting bigger stems more severely?

Yes, near Cedar Rapids, between Walford and Amana.

 

[fmueller]

No, just means it'll take that much longer for it to grow back. The older wood your supposed to cut to the ground every four or five years and the shoots you pinch back to encourage branching. This way you maintain the hedge in a healthy state instead of cutting it down to nothing and having nothing to look at and starting over again. If starting over again is what you want to do then no its not bad.
Wow, a fellow forestry buff in the area! I'm just north of 30 not far from the mighty Cedar River.

 

[dropcrotch]

HI, I'll assume your talking about Loncinera, right? One of my favorites.I've done alot of work on these, doing commercial landscaping in the upper mid west. I'd suggest only going for the oldest wood, about evrry five years. Dont go heading it,that'll destroy or set back the vase shape for a long time and wont do anything more for blossom than a thinning would do.. Some Older plants with massive trunks bloom justas well or better than headed ones. There is a semi evergreen variety (L. fragrantissima) it gets out of hand more frequently.

 

[dropcrotch]

Oh, yeah looking up, I mean exaclty what mueller said! I think we can confirm this as recommended practise.

 

[tomreeve]

Invasive Honeysuckle?

I don't know if it as much of a problem in Iowa as it is here but Lonicera mackii and Lonicera tartarica Lonicera moworii, all bush honeysucles and all very common, are extremely invasive species. In many places it has gotten so out of hand that the bushes shade out all native herbaceous and tree seedlings in the forest. I would suggest killing the hedge row with garlan and trying something else, otherwise you will probably start finding honeysuckle popping up everywhere. But I am pretty millitant when it comes to honeysuckle
tom

 

[Bigsnowdog]

Re: Invasive Honeysuckle?

Originally posted by tomreeve
I don't know if it as much of a problem in Iowa as it is here but Lonicera mackii and Lonicera tartarica Lonicera moworii, all bush honeysucles and all very common, are extremely invasive species. In many places it has gotten so out of hand that the bushes shade out all native herbaceous and tree seedlings in the forest. I would suggest killing the hedge row with garlan and trying something else, otherwise you will probably start finding honeysuckle popping up everywhere. But I am pretty millitant when it comes to honeysuckle
tom

The honeysuckle I have here has been in place since 1979 and has never spread a bit.

 

[Nickrosis]

If the flowers aren't particularly important to you, pruning in the winter is the best thing for the plant. If you prune in the spring or summer, the plant has then wasted a lot of energy pushing out those flowers and leaves only to have them removed.

If it's a hedge and you don't care about the blooms, cut them in a couple of months.

 

[Bigsnowdog]

Are you saying they would never bloom again?

 

[Nickrosis]

No......just that they wouldn't bloom this coming spring if you cut them to the ground this winter (which is the best method IMO for rejujvenating).

In the long run (2-3 years), you'll have far more blooms, assuming the winters are decent.