Trimming Conifers

[Doug99]

My conifers are about 12 foot tall and 6 foot wide and well established. If I cut them to 6 foot tall and reduce width to 3 foot, will the foliage recover?

Reducing to 3 feet width will result in a very naked row of conifers which hopefully is only temporary.

Cheers

 

[Diyisfun]

Have a read here
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0506/coniferhedges.asp

 

[Diyisfun]

deleted dbl posted

 

[NickStone]

Reducing to 3 feet width will result in a very naked row of conifers which hopefully is only temporary.

Conifers don't like brutal pruning. They'll go brown where you cut them back and probably never grow on those branches again. Little and often is the key.

 

[Doug99]

Thanks DIYisfun for the link. The previous owners planted the conifers and just left them to grow.

It appears then that the only options available to me are:

a. Cut to 6 foot tall and trim the width to the limit of the foliage - This will still leave them wider than I would wish.
b. Remove all and plant with new.
c. Remove all and put up a fence.

 

[JohnD]

remove all is a good start.

Maybe some kind of hedge next time?