I sent you an e-mail.

Well I did the winter shearing without taking a photo, so I'll wait until April until I take this years photo. Over four feet tall, I took nearly a foot off the hedge leaving them around 3 ft tall x 2 ft wide. There are a few "gaps" where my neighbors clipped them with the back bumper of their car. Any advice on how to "heal" the gaps?

so...you were a little concerned about getting answers in conflict...so you come to the nexus of consensus...yeah, that's gonna end well. size under conditions...this includes prevailing winds in winter, which also gets to the use of anti desicants. If you are in a situation that would lend itself to a wind tunnel, such use might be beneficial. That should get the agitators going. In general, rate of growth and ultimate size are going to vary depending upon time frame, soil and weather conditions, fertility, care...so any answer is subject to more legal disclaimers than a heart transplant. The Princess is likely to get taller than the Prince, and in such a short space, might look funny. Speed? I doubt they'd ever grow a foot a year, maybe average half that over time, maybe a bit more. Ultimate size no trimming? Perhaps 10-12, perhaps closer to 15. Then again, maybe 8-10. It all depends... Male female ratio...think of it a harem...one male goes a long way...like one to eight to ten to twenty. Spacing...the faster you want them to fill in, the closer you put them. These guys are going to be slightly taller than wide, but you were generally right. They'll grow in all directions, kinda like Uncle Phil at Thanksgiving dinner. I'd be hard pressed to suggest putting them closer than 6', probably closer to 8. But that's me. Feel free to ...need a good word here...one that implies conflict and lack of agreement...should we say dissent? now for the real kicker, and my view is going to be different than some here. 6' plants to start? in blue holly? You can find them? If you have the budget, go for it. Most folks that frequent these forums have a set of priorities that is different, but that's them. If you want size (I assume for privacy) and can afford it, go for it. Everyone has their own priorities and finds the reason to support their view. But that's what makes the nursery business an exciting dynamic place. Some people want large, some people want small and infinite variety. Both can be satisfied. Just think how boring things would be if this were not the case. But really...you can find 6' blue holly? I guess I'd want to know more. 6' is typically a size for arbs, spruce, or American holly. a more typical size for blues is 5g 18" or 7g 24".

I didn't know pinching the tips would make a yaupon denser. I'll have to remember that trick. Also didn't know that the males grow faster.---Hmmm. I do need them to be big fast though. While I love the intense red color of a Photinia, I probably won't use it because we had a gorgeous hedge of them at our old house, and one by one they developed fungal leaf spot and died.--Spraying with a fungicide didn't do a thing, nor did making the soil extra rich. I too have heard if you let Photonias grow to be the tree they really want to be that they're healthier, but for what I need, I can't do that. (There is a Photinia growing in the courtyard of Bedicheck Middle School in Austin that is phenomenal, but it has grown into a tree, not a bush.) I'll have to do some research on eleagnus because I'm not that familiar with it. Thanks for the suggestions.