How to Cut Back Variegated Chinese Privet

Variegated Chinese privets, a variety of ligustrum, produce gray-green leaves with creamy white edges. The leaf variegations add a bright touch to the landscape, standing out against the darker green of the lawn and surrounding plants. The shrubs reach up to 4 feet tall at maturity and require pruning and cutting back to maintain their shape and to prevent overgrowth. The shrub may produce branches with dull gray, non-variegated leaves. These branches require cutting out so the entire shrub doesn't revert to this dull foliage color.

Pruning shears
Hedge trimmers

Instructions

- 1
  Cut back privet hedges twice yearly, once in mid-spring and a second time in mid- to late-summer. Cut out damaged branches at any time.
- 2
  Prune out dead or winter damaged branches by cutting them off where they join with the nearest healthy wood. Use a small pair of pruning shears so you can easily reach into the interior of the shrub to make these cuts.
- 3
  Trim back the top of the hedge to the desired height, removing up to a third of the top growth. Use hedge trimmers to make a slightly rounded, even cut. A slightly rounded top allows the hedge to more easily shed excess moisture and snow.
- 4
  Cut back the sides of the privet hedge with the trimmers, removing up to a third of the side branches' length. Slope the side down slightly from the top, so the top is thinner than the bottom of the hedge. This allows sunlight and moisture to reach the lower branches.
- 5
  Inspect the hedge for aberrant branches producing the dull gray leaves. Cut these branches out completely at their base.

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