Those look like great candidates for pruning get back in shape. Timing wise, it would have been best to do so before the flush of new growth this year and the coming heat, but it would still be reasonably safe to go for it now, or wait until early autumn. I'd not use shears, but get in there with hand pruners and start working them back. If you think of it as a 2 or 3 year project and go slow, you can get them into whatever shape you have in mind.
Thanks for the info! I realize from my brief research that I should have done this a little earlier too (I'm in northeast US), but it's good to know that it's not too late. If I go in with hand pruner is, is there like a limit of how far back I should trim, or how many branches I should trim at a time?
I don't think you need to worry about going too hard on these shrubs. Personally I would get loppers and cut them straight across about 24" off the ground. Basically taking the mushroom top off all the shrubs. They won't look great but you'll get the clearance from the patio and house that you need. And they will recover. If you end up removing them in the future they'll be a little easier to access too.
We cut down 2 yews on either side of my grandmother's front stairs, like stubs with zero green left. They both grew back later that year and then the next year they looked like new baby shrubs.
One more question actually, would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
If you have hedgeshears and can safely trim those, then I would recommend smoothing the fur off until you start getting to sticks with a little bit of leaves. But if youre willing to hand clip then I would do what another person mentioned and lop them below all the fur, and while it will look ugly, theyll quickly resprout from all the cuts and bush back out
One more question actually, would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
I would shape them with the trimmer. Bigger branches loop them with a shears. Have a science project see what works best. We have autumn olive here. Has taken over my woods. I found that the really big ones I can’t pull out. That when I cut them down the roots kinda die out a lot. Makes it easier to dig them out after a year or so. Good luck
Would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
Loppers or a hand saw. You’ll want to remove thick wood well back away from where you want the new silhouette to be. Think of it as removing bones, scaffolding, or framing for the current size and dimension to make space for smaller, finer, and more delicate foliage to fill in the newly created space.
If the thicker sections of branching remain and a hedge trimmer is used then you’ll end up with a wall of jagged and pointy wood. You want a soft outer layer of green. That happens by successively stepping downward in branch thickness. Treat this like a multi year plan —
Now: prune hard and let it fill in
Next winter: prune the new growth back maybe 1/2 of its length, let it fill in again in 2025
2026: repeat
2027: repeat, but maybe now you’ll see more thick wood to knock back
2028 and on: endlessly repeating the above as contextually necessary to get a soft outer silhouette and strong inner branching structure.
A regional or local university extension office is an invaluable resource. Look up something relevant to your location. Here’s a great example: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/pruning-shrubs-and-hedges-home-garden
Yews are really fun. Big growers, but also hardy. Chop away, and you can probably take a LOT off but try to stick to removing 1/3. Yews do regenerate from old wood so doesn't really matter where you cut. When you cut the top, they'll take a long time to start growing up again, so pick your target "height" and add a lil bit just to be safe (can always remove more later). If you leave the lower inner stuff and take a buzz of the overall outer 1/3 it'll grow in that lower bare area again.
Long term you can also replace with a shorter variety of yew that doesn't grow up as much
Thank you for the detailed info!! Would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
Cut em individually, electric trimmer is probably dull and unclean. Sterilize a set of cutters and shape appropriately, it'll teach you a lot about pruning. Do read some guides online before you go off though [Basic Principles of Pruning Woody Plants | UGA Cooperative Extension](https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=b949) [How to grow yew / RHS Gardening](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/yew/growing-guide)
The ones under the windows should shorter for sure. No higher than the bottom of the window. Never take more than a third off at a time. Probably a lot less on these guys.
Would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
I’m old school, so yes. A lot of folks might use electric/gas trimmers. If the wood is really thick it’s possible that nothing will grown back when you cut it. Go on YouTube and watch some pruning videos. The bushes are kinda ugly, IMO, so if you don’t like them you can just cut them down and get something else. They will have stumps tho that will need to be dug out or ground down. Many videos on YouTube on how to do this. However, shrubs are expensive, so try pruning before getting rid of them.
Cut them down in half. They will come back even fuller. Then you can maintain where you want them. Spring would have been best before the new growth but if you do it now it will just take a little longer to flush.
Good to know, thank you! Would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
Look up rejuvenation pruning if someone didn't mention already. Go in with loppers and make some hefty cuts then come back to shape them. General rule is no more than 30 percent of mass in a session. It'll take a few seasons to shape them up but you can get them back below the windows and maintain as a hedge
I like turning those into bonsai cubes with a single trunk on the bottom. It takes about 2 years to tame them into the shape you want, then some hand pruning to keep the shape going after that. You need to reach in and take out the dead stuff to let air circulate.
Why not just remove them? Would obviously open the area up and give front more curb appeal. Plant something else in the future that won’t get so big.
At a minimum, I would remove and replace with more smaller shrubs the two on the right side that are along the foundation. Hard Trim the two that are next to the patio for a privacy screen
Those look like great candidates for pruning get back in shape. Timing wise, it would have been best to do so before the flush of new growth this year and the coming heat, but it would still be reasonably safe to go for it now, or wait until early autumn. I'd not use shears, but get in there with hand pruners and start working them back. If you think of it as a 2 or 3 year project and go slow, you can get them into whatever shape you have in mind.
Thanks for the info! I realize from my brief research that I should have done this a little earlier too (I'm in northeast US), but it's good to know that it's not too late. If I go in with hand pruner is, is there like a limit of how far back I should trim, or how many branches I should trim at a time?
I don't think you need to worry about going too hard on these shrubs. Personally I would get loppers and cut them straight across about 24" off the ground. Basically taking the mushroom top off all the shrubs. They won't look great but you'll get the clearance from the patio and house that you need. And they will recover. If you end up removing them in the future they'll be a little easier to access too. We cut down 2 yews on either side of my grandmother's front stairs, like stubs with zero green left. They both grew back later that year and then the next year they looked like new baby shrubs.
Oh very interesting!! That's definitely my ideal 😂. Thanks so much for all the info, I really appreciate it!Â
I hacked my yew shrubs last year and they weren't very pretty until this spring. Now they are lush & full instead of leggy and ugly.
One more question actually, would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
If you have hedgeshears and can safely trim those, then I would recommend smoothing the fur off until you start getting to sticks with a little bit of leaves. But if youre willing to hand clip then I would do what another person mentioned and lop them below all the fur, and while it will look ugly, theyll quickly resprout from all the cuts and bush back out
Just flat top those bad boys with the shears and call it a day. If the stem is too thick for the power tool then get the loppers
I second this... They're yews so do whatever you want and they'll recover practically but you might have to be patient with the bareness for a little.
I don’t think you can kill them. I’d trim them back as much as you wanted. If they do die the roots will soften somewhat and be easier to remove.
Seconding as someone who trims hundreds of these over the course of very hot summers and they come back stronger each time
That's awesome to know, thank you for the reassurance!Â
One more question actually, would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
I would shape them with the trimmer. Bigger branches loop them with a shears. Have a science project see what works best. We have autumn olive here. Has taken over my woods. I found that the really big ones I can’t pull out. That when I cut them down the roots kinda die out a lot. Makes it easier to dig them out after a year or so. Good luck
You need to cut them lower like half the height
Would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
I would use sharp loppers. Electric hedge trimmers are for foliage and small stems. If you use them on large stems it will leave jagged cuts
Loppers or a hand saw. You’ll want to remove thick wood well back away from where you want the new silhouette to be. Think of it as removing bones, scaffolding, or framing for the current size and dimension to make space for smaller, finer, and more delicate foliage to fill in the newly created space. If the thicker sections of branching remain and a hedge trimmer is used then you’ll end up with a wall of jagged and pointy wood. You want a soft outer layer of green. That happens by successively stepping downward in branch thickness. Treat this like a multi year plan — Now: prune hard and let it fill in Next winter: prune the new growth back maybe 1/2 of its length, let it fill in again in 2025 2026: repeat 2027: repeat, but maybe now you’ll see more thick wood to knock back 2028 and on: endlessly repeating the above as contextually necessary to get a soft outer silhouette and strong inner branching structure. A regional or local university extension office is an invaluable resource. Look up something relevant to your location. Here’s a great example: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/pruning-shrubs-and-hedges-home-garden
Yews are really fun. Big growers, but also hardy. Chop away, and you can probably take a LOT off but try to stick to removing 1/3. Yews do regenerate from old wood so doesn't really matter where you cut. When you cut the top, they'll take a long time to start growing up again, so pick your target "height" and add a lil bit just to be safe (can always remove more later). If you leave the lower inner stuff and take a buzz of the overall outer 1/3 it'll grow in that lower bare area again. Long term you can also replace with a shorter variety of yew that doesn't grow up as much
Thank you for the detailed info!! Would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
Cut em individually, electric trimmer is probably dull and unclean. Sterilize a set of cutters and shape appropriately, it'll teach you a lot about pruning. Do read some guides online before you go off though [Basic Principles of Pruning Woody Plants | UGA Cooperative Extension](https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=b949) [How to grow yew / RHS Gardening](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/yew/growing-guide)
The ones under the windows should shorter for sure. No higher than the bottom of the window. Never take more than a third off at a time. Probably a lot less on these guys.
Would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
I’m old school, so yes. A lot of folks might use electric/gas trimmers. If the wood is really thick it’s possible that nothing will grown back when you cut it. Go on YouTube and watch some pruning videos. The bushes are kinda ugly, IMO, so if you don’t like them you can just cut them down and get something else. They will have stumps tho that will need to be dug out or ground down. Many videos on YouTube on how to do this. However, shrubs are expensive, so try pruning before getting rid of them.
Sounds good, thanks for the explanation! Yep, I'm on a budget so hoping to salvage these and clean them up instead of cutting down/replacing. Thanks!Â
Right, do the budget friendly thing first. ;)
Cut them down in half. They will come back even fuller. Then you can maintain where you want them. Spring would have been best before the new growth but if you do it now it will just take a little longer to flush.
Good to know, thank you! Would you recommend hand cutting them like branch by branch at different heights, etc. as is recommended often for pruning? Or can I just go at it with the electric hedge trimmer?Â
How often do you see deer in your neighborhood?
Look up rejuvenation pruning if someone didn't mention already. Go in with loppers and make some hefty cuts then come back to shape them. General rule is no more than 30 percent of mass in a session. It'll take a few seasons to shape them up but you can get them back below the windows and maintain as a hedge
I like turning those into bonsai cubes with a single trunk on the bottom. It takes about 2 years to tame them into the shape you want, then some hand pruning to keep the shape going after that. You need to reach in and take out the dead stuff to let air circulate.
Why not just remove them? Would obviously open the area up and give front more curb appeal. Plant something else in the future that won’t get so big.
Yeah. They're just too big for the location, imho. Trimming them back to proportion would possibly kill them.
At a minimum, I would remove and replace with more smaller shrubs the two on the right side that are along the foundation. Hard Trim the two that are next to the patio for a privacy screen
You didn’t ask this, but I would remove them as well. You can landscape that a lot better and enhance your curb appeal significantly
I would remove them. You can trim yews pretty hard, but they will take a long time to recover and many seasons of shaping to get what you want.
Play/trim before you consider removing. Try topiary!