Hebe too big

[clueless]

I have a hebe that is getting too large for our small border.  Can we cut it back or has anybody any ideas?

[clueless]

[valmarg]

It is one of the shrubs that you can be harsh (aka very) when cutting back.

valmarg

[Emagggie]

Yes, yes, yes. Chop away. It just doesn't seem to mind. ;D

[clueless]

Even if I chop back only leaving thickish wood, is that OK? :o 
So I can do it now?

[betula]

Your Hebe should be in flower now.I would save any drastic pruning till after flowering. :)

[clueless]

Thanks.  The original plan was to dig it out and bin it!!! ::)

[manicscousers]

Hi, clueless, welcome to the site  ;D
our hebe got too big for it's pot and broke through and buried it's roots in the garden  :o
we planted it out and chopped bits off so, it's back under control  :)

[Garden Manager]

NO NO NO! You cannot hard prune hebes under any circumstances (unless you WANT to kill it). They are similar to lavenders, rosemaries etc in that you should not cut back into bare stems. Pruning should be to the lowest or second lowest live shoot on a stem. This may be at any point on the stem but if you cut lower the branch will die back. If you are lucky this pruning might stimulate new shoots lower down and you can then prune again, but this is not reliable.

I hope this helps!

[Kea]

What shape leaves does it have? and how big are they? and is it in flower (Hebes flower all year round it just depends which one you have, some Hebe's you can be quite brutal with and others you can't.

[Garden Manager]

What shape leaves does it have? and how big are they? and is it in flower (Hebes flower all year round it just depends which one you have, some Hebe's you can be quite brutal with and others you can't.

Oh? Which ones. I have large and small leaves types and treated them all the same way - with care as described above.  Been growing them for years with great sucess to BTW.

[Kea]

Some can be treated quite roughly and others can't. Generally the ones with the large fleshy leaves don't take very well to hard cutting. Hebe salicifolia http://www.habitas.org.uk/gardenflora/hebesali.htm
and similar types you can almost hack it down like you would a buddliea. In fact it is grown as a hedge quite often.
Another thing you can do if it's got leggy is to dig it up and just plant it back deeper or prune a third of it back when that sprouts do the next third etc won't look great for awhile. Most of mine survive hacking back it's something I've always done to Hebe's except the ones with large fleshing leaves which i would cut back bit by bit as I've described.