# Can I trim these plants with hedge trimmers?



## vankjeff (Jan 28, 2019)

I've had these plants all around my house for 20 years or so and I don't think that they've ever been manicured in anyway. I don't know what type of plant they are. They are so overgrown. Can I shape them or maybe even cut them almost all the way down to the ground with a strong hedge trimmer? If so, how low can I go? Will the tips of them all grow back to be pointed like they are now or will they always just look trimmed off & flat?
I live in Southern California so it's plenty warm all winter long. I may want to sell her house next summer so I'd like them to grow back and look OK by then.
I'm totally OK using my tree limb saw, my pruning saw or my very sharp, new lithium ion battery powered hedge trimmers or my plug-in extra-length hedge trimmers since I did lots of landscaping in a business that I owned 40 years ago in Indianapolis. I've just started doing my own lawn care again. These things are way out of control but I don't know what to do to them.
As you might notice, I've got some bad bare spots in my front yard. They used to be full of moss so I sprayed Moss Ex to kill it but that was a struggle. I think the real problem had been that my neighbor's tree was blocking all the sunlight, so it never dried out. I also think I had my sprinklers watering it too much. What a pain. But, that's another problem that I actually have an old question on this site in another forum about.


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## vankjeff (Jan 28, 2019)

Can someone please help me?


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

I believe the plants are a fortnight lily. In the fall these plants can be aggressive trimmed to just above ground level. Once they are trimmed try to remove as much of the dead foliage as possible. You can also easily split these plants if needed.


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## vankjeff (Jan 28, 2019)

Thanks! What do you mean by split?
I should add that I'm hoping to have these look presentable next summer since I might put the house up For Sale. How much will they grow back by then if I cut them really low and will the new ends look ok?


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

Here is a quick video on splitting the plants.






Just took this picture outside of the office. You can see the brown leafs towards the bottom which was the height the plant was taken down to last fall. If the height of regrowth is a concern I would be a little less aggressive and maybe take them down to a foot or so.


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## vankjeff (Jan 28, 2019)

Wow cool thanks for all that & especially the photos. It makes me think I should cut them all as low as I can so those old, brown leaves aren't there even if it doesn't grow up too much by the time it's on the market, if it ever is. I'm thinking that they'll all will look somewhat freshly planted, just like they did 25 years ago, after they've grown up a foot or 2.
I didn't watch the splitting video yet but why do people do splitting? Is it just to make the base smaller or is it to transplant some of it?


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## vankjeff (Jan 28, 2019)

I should have watched the video before I'd replied earlier. I don't know if I really need to do any splitting or digging up, do I? I'm happy with where they are. I guess the base at ground level is pretty big but that's OK as far as how it will look as it starts to grow back, right?


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## vankjeff (Jan 28, 2019)

Sorry to have replied a few times here but I've just found myself reconsidering how low I need to cut these. As long as the base looks OK, wouldn't it work OK to just hedge trimmer it off about 1' off the ground and let it grow back? If that's OK, should I shape it round on top or clip it off flat?


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

I think a foot off of the ground is okay. Just start there and you can always take more off if needed. I prefer trimming them flat but that's just me.


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## vankjeff (Jan 28, 2019)

Thanks! This shouldn't be too hard. Now I'm getting motivated. 👍


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