Rejuvenating Leggy Variegated Privet: Hard Prune or Hide Knees

Cutting privet to 4 feet only produces new growth at 4 feet—bare legs remain. Options:

Cut to 12 inches in spring; pinch new shoots at 6–12 inches for dense base-to-top foliage by next summer.
Plant dwarf yaupon holly in front to hide bare stems.

UGA pruning guide: www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/B961-W.HTML

About Gardening: Pruning Pyracantha Without the Bloodshed: Battery-Powered Hedge Trimmers; Spirea Pruning Depends on Bloom Time; Loropetalum 'Burgundy' Too Big? Replace with Dwarf Cultivars; Clematis Pruning: Timing Depends on Bloom Type; Mugo Pine Overgrown: Prune to Interior Needles or Replace; Fig Pruning Strategy for Consistent Annual Crops; Pruning Leggy Gardenias: A Three-Year Plan for Stronger, Blooming Shrubs; Pruning Blue Junipers: Mid-Late April, Leave Green Foliage; Pruning Storm-Damaged Rabbiteye Blueberries: Timing and Technique; Pruning Overgrown Hollies: Timing and Technique for a Fuller Shape

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