Hi I am wondering what to do with my new hedge. It has Ben planted a year now and is growing straight up and is very bushy at the base of the hedge. I was thinking I would trim the lower branches and tip prune the top I. Order to thicken the bush in the middle. My question is can you trim lower branches of this type of lily pillhy (grows to max 3m) an will this help thicken the middle of the bush or promote just more new growth at the bottom? The reason I want to trim the bottom is to give room to the ground cover which is s native rosemary. Any help of ideas appreciated by this novice gardener!
Well Sygygium are a fantastic growing hedge especially as they grow thickly right down to the ground. so can you trim them to allow for other plants underneath? Yes you can. Will it help promote growth in the middle? Maybe, but the plant will always send out more growth in the locality that it has been trimmed - the cutting process literally stimulates the growth hormones in that area. Having said that, Syzygiums being such strong growers tend to respond all over when trimmed. And they do need a lot of trimming, generally at least four to five times a year, so you have to like your shears if you grow Lily Pillies. P.S. tip pruning is a sure fire way to encourage lower area growth.