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Gardening in Oz

Pruning liriope hedge

14 years ago

I live in central northern Victoria and have a large overgrown liriope muscari hedge about 10 metres long and 0.6 mts high which needs a big tidy up. Do I pull up each plant and divide and replant (onerous task) or can I just shear it back? If the latter is the best way to go, what is the best way of doing it eg when is the best time? What tool should I use? How low do I cut it? Thanks in anticipation of your advice

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Comments (2)

alisonoz_gw
14 years ago
See how much space is left between plants, if not too overcrowded, I would simply go for a hair-trim.
You can cut them back to nearly ground-level but of course it will look a bit bare until it gets going again. Or, you can leave a couple of inches above and sort of attack it from the outside. making it into a more mounded shape, so that he spaces between plants are more apparent. The idea is to stimulate new growth, but the cut-growth won't continue to grow so better be a bit ruthless.
Don't do it until late winter or very early spring, but before the new growth starts appearing out of the ground in the centre of the mound. Leave it over winter as the old growth gives some protection from the cold.
You can use a brush-cutter/ whipper-snipper or hedge trimmers or clippers to start the job (I've heard of people even using an old mulching lawnmower to make the attack) ) & finish off more neatly with hedge trimmers (electric or hand operated), heavy duty scissors or seccateurs.
Use your (gloved) hands or a rake to pull through each clump to clean out the dead stuff and then tidy round by removing all the cut-off material.
Give them a feed and a mulch if you like, and off they go when the weather is warmer.
If they seem overcrowded, I wouldn't tackle the whole lot in one go (you seemed a bit dis-spirited even thinking about it.) Maybe tackle one out of 2 or 3 or..... in the hedge this time if breaking up, and if doing so, wait until in growing phase in spring. You could also then pot up some extra divisions either as a back-up for losses, or to provide established plants for replacements for dividing more next year, or just give away as surplus of course.
janno1
Original Author
14 years ago
Many thanks Alsionoz for you great detailed advice. Ill get cracking early spring
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