Drastic pruning of Murraya jungle

[Enjru]

My backyard fences were previously smothered by a rampant jungle of Murraya wilderness. We pruned them back pretty severely in September and again in November. I added some cow manure, fertilizer and mulch, and now they are looking much more attractive, except that a lot of them are now showing too much bare legs. New leaves are sprouting from many of these lower bare branches, but I'm wondering if anyone can give me a better idea as to how long before these bare Murraya legs get recovered in some semblance of verdant modesty?

Thanks,
Enjru

P.S. I planted 4 more small Murrayas baby plants (maybe 30cm tall). Approximately how long will they take to grow up to 1.8m high?

[tam]

Cut them to ground level. I did this to one of mine intending to dig it out but I think we had bad weather and I forgot about it. It is a lovely bushy shrub from the ground up.

[Pam]

I agree with Tam. You're far better cutting them right back - they'll shoot back to a decent height in no time.

A previous neighbour used to cut hers back to just a few inches each year or so, and they grew to nearly 2 metres in the meantime.

[Enjru]

OK, thank you both! People do say Murrayas are hard to kill in Sydney! I might chop them right back just before they burst into new growth this coming spring.

[tam]

Enjru it won't matter when you cut them back. Just make you water deeply once a week and mulch if you can.

[Wollemi]

There are only two non-native trees left in my front yard - and both are going to come out... although, is Murraya panniculata an Australian native?

Wikipedia suggests it may be. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit ... and&from=M

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What lifespan can I expect from a single M. panniculata anyway? Ours was here when we moved to the hot Blueys in 1986. Currently approaching 4m height.
Not lush, but OK.

Cutting them to ground level sounds incredible - how does photosyntheis, and hence life, continue?

[bubba louie]

There are only two non-native trees left in my front yard - and both are going to come out... although, is Murraya panniculata an Australian native?

Wikipedia suggests it may be. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit ... and&from=M

~~~~

What lifespan can I expect from a single M. panniculata anyway? Ours was here when we moved to the hot Blueys in 1986. Currently approaching 4m height.
Not lush, but OK.

Cutting them to ground level sounds incredible - how does photosyntheis, and hence life, continue?

http://www.weeds.org.au/cgi-bin/weedide ... l&card=S44

[Pam]

There are only two non-native trees left in my front yard - and both are going to come out... although, is Murraya panniculata an Australian native?

Wikipedia suggests it may be. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit ... and&from=M

No, it's not a native. It comes from South Eastern Asia. The thing with Wikipedia is that anyone can create or edit an article, so misinformation does at times get posted, but is usually corrected before too long.

Cutting them to ground level sounds incredible - how does photosyntheis, and hence life, continue?

I don't think I'd take them quite to ground level. I'd suggest leaving maybe 30cm or thereabouts will give you more surface area for shoots to form. They're not photosynthesising while they have no leaves. They survive on reserves that are built up within the roots.

I've done the same thing with bottlebrushes (and other plants) and they survive quite fine. One bottlebrush in our previous garden had a trunk diameter of about 30 cm and was growing over the fence and overhanging the neighbour's house, so had to be cut back. It was taken back to about 40cm, and a bare trunk. Another one that I cut back at the same time, but had much smaller trunk diameter shot back again within a matter of weeks. This big one did take probably 2 or 3 months to take off again, but absolutely thrived once it did.

[tam]

Pam the one I cut to ground level sent new shoots up within a couple of weeks and never looked back.
I think we might have had a fair bit of rain and this stopped me digging it out so make sure you give them water.

Cutting them to ground level sounds incredible - how does photosyntheis, and hence life, continue?
Probably the same as bulbs that die down.

Lillypillys are another plant you can do this with also.

[bubba louie]

Pam the one I cut to ground level sent new shoots up within a couple of weeks and never looked back.
I think we might have had a fair bit of rain and this stopped me digging it out so make sure you give them water.

Cutting them to ground level sounds incredible - how does photosyntheis, and hence life, continue?
Probably the same as bulbs that die down.

Lillypillys are another plant you can do this with also.

And some eucs too. A book I have says to ground level or below, if you want multiple trunks.

And the ruddy celtis, it just makes it angry and it comes back with a vengeance.