Gnarly Privet

[RJG2]

Disclaimer: this was my first air layer, and I had to remove early because the neighbor called in the hedge trimmer man (who am I to say anything, they're paying for it).

If it survives, I'll document progress here. No idea where I want to take it; I'll have to stare at it awhile now that it's down, and choose trunk lines and chop points next year.

I was hoping for lower roots, guess I should have done the ring lower (again, this is my first attempt ever. Live and learn). Maybe I'll get some and be able to select in spring.

 

[JoeR]

Thats a really nice piece of material, hope it makes it. Definitely keep in some shade while it roots more, I would say its pretty likely to survive with the right aftercare.

 

[RJG2]

Thats a really nice piece of material, hope it makes it. Definitely keep in some shade while it roots more, I would say its pretty likely to survive with the right aftercare.

Thanks! It was the most interesting spot I found on my side of the hedge. I'll have to search it a bit more for next spring. They are cutting it back hard this year.

It's definitely in the shade; on the north side of a maple hedge. Might get a very very tiny amount of dappled light where it is now.

 

[doctorater]

Definitely see why you wanted to layer that. Impressive piece. Hopefully will continue to put out roots.

 

[fredman]

WoW interesting where the roots shot from . You didn't even needed to do the girdle...
It really wants to live. I've got high hopes for it for sure. Very good material. Good luck with it mate.

 

[RJG2]

Good thing I separated... Guess they went for the hard chop this year.

Red circle is where my air layer was I think.

 

[RJG2]

A couple days after I separated the air layer, my wife asked me to get rid of a couple pieces of the hedge that escaped and were encroaching the lawn. This was post-hedge-prune.

I kept one... Seems to be doing fine; new buds popping.

 

[BrianBay9]

I bet it will pull through. I've seen privet put up with darn near everything and survive. Nice start.

 

[RJG2]

The air layer seems to be continuing to root well; there are roots coming out of the bottom.

I haven't seen any new growth up top yet though.

I'm guessing that the roots still haven't caught up with the amount of foliage I left.

Couple questions for the future:

Best time to do a hard cut back of the trunks (provided it is recovered)? Late winter as with most deciduous?

How likely are privet to abandon trunks without foliage?

 

[johnbaz]

Love how you anchored it in to the dish with the block of wood and screws!!

The tree looks fabulous, There's loads to go at!!

Some years ago I trimmed a privet hedge hard back and stuck a few cuttings in the ground, They need digging up now as they're taking over that bit of the garden!!


John

 

[Clicio]

Beautifully done, please keep us posted on its progression.

 

[RJG2]

Love how you anchored it in to the dish with the block of wood and screws!!

Thanks; can't take credit for it, I saw or read about it somewhere. I still added two wire tie downs to really cement it in.

 

[RJG2]

Beautifully done, please keep us posted on its progression.

Will do. No new top growth yet, but there are roots coming out of the bottom, so that's a good sign. Probably time to start fertilizing.

 

[RJG2]

Last shots from earlier this fall. Still not sure what I'm going to keep despite staring at it all summer.

 

[just.wing.it]

Wow! That's very cool, nice work!
I think a hard chop next spring will produce back-budding all over
I only have one privet, and its much smaller and younger than yours.
Good luck!

 

[RJG2]

Wow! That's very cool, nice work!
I think a hard chop next spring will produce back-budding all over
I only have one privet, and its much smaller and younger than yours.
Good luck!

I'm watching your clump thread, I have another one that I want to work similarly.

This one definitely needs a chop, but I think I also need to remove a couple/few subtrunks. Maybe raise it a bit too, so you can see where the the primary trunks combine - we'll see what the roots look like...

Something like this maybe:

 

[Aaron the Great]

I have a privet in my fence line that has an awesome gnarley trunk but I have not figured out how to get it without taking my fence down. So I just use it for cuttings for now.

 

[RJG2]

Hard cut back day has arrived. Not sure how I feel about that large bottom left branch crossing the others, but my wife said she likes it so it stays for now.

Before:


After:


Back?


Can't wait to repot next year, hope to raise it up so you can see where everything joins.

 

[RJG2]

Hmmm, I should turn it back a bit more to center. That "front" picture didn't turn out how I expected...

 

[sorce]

front" picture

I don't know how much that tie down wire is guiding me to that straight branch above it, but I think that straight branch above it should go.

Sorce