hey.. same question... in regard to those huge trees off to the right.. and whether they are getting enough sun ...

again.. like your orange tree.. the fact that there are no leaves below.. indicates.. they are not getting the light they need.. until they reach over the fence ... and if you cut them below the fence.. one might ask.. how will they generate food thru photosynthesis.. without sunlight hitting leaves .. have no doubt.. they will generate new leaves.. the question is.. will they be viable ....

see link.. and read some info on REJUVENATION PRUNING OF SHRUBS .... at the link

and w/o reading a single one.. i will bet my shiny nickle.. that NONE will suggest you TOP THEM off at 5 to 6 feet ... all you will get.. it green at that height ... right back over the fence height ...

but your base issue here.. seems to that you have not identified what you want... other than to give them a haircut ...

define the end product.. and then decide if its possible within the sun they now live in .. and then apply rejuvenation rules to do it correctly.. and do understand.. that properly done.. rejuvenation is a 3 year process... no instant gratification in this equation ...

but if instant gratification is what you want.. and budget is not an issue ... then remove them.. and plant something that can cope with whatever sunlight there now is.. in the yard ... down below the fence ...

sorry if you were hoping for a fast easy answer.. lol

ken

ps: they are yours.. do whatever you want to them.. cut them.. and if its doesnt work out.. remove them in a year or two ... thats how i learned... in fact.. if mine.. with my love of experimenting.. i would cut one at one foot.. one at 2.. one at three .. etc ... and see what happens... the worse being ... you cut them further down based on experience..

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Thanks, I guess there are no miracles.

Sun more or less comes in as seen in the picture, morning sun from east. I was hoping the previous owner picked these because they were shade tolerant.

If I cut them, any guidelines? A straight horizontal cut or angled? Any fertilizers?

i dont believe in fertilizing shrubs ... ever ... and that is my point... you are not going to change sun needs.. by adding fert/food .... most shrubs get whatever fert they need.. from the nearby grass which is fert'd.. of which .. i dont see any in the pic.... so.. a very little.. balanced fert wont hurt ... that means all 3 numbers the same...

do you know the history of the fence ...???

what came first.. the fence.. the plants.. or the chicken .. lol ... that might answer its sun needs ...

you need someone to chime in .. who knows your plant ...

and in your other post.. someone suggested the big trees were out competing your orange... some suggest.. a tree is twice as big underground.. as above... so if you have a 50 foot tree .. just 25 feet away ... it can still be choking the life out of other things.. stealing available water and nutrients ....

ken

Does your DC mean District of Columbia? If so, and if these were really pittosporums, the recent weather might do the job for you.
But yes, almost any normal healthy broadleaved evergreen can be cut down to ground and expected to regenerate. If the site is too shady though, or the plants already stressed, it might not be a good idea.
It's hard to believe there would be such a hedge of Pittosporum in DC, though. The hardy clones are really rare. So, either you're not in DC, or these are not Pittosporum tobira. (yes, there are other species that are a bit hardier, but they are even less likely to get this big) Maybe you are one of the east coast seasonal migrants and these are really in Florida. If so...lucky bâtard (gardenweb prefers I use french) to be missing snowstorm #4 of this horrid winter! Ken's advice is sound, although some Florida soils are so poor that fertilization is considered essential for some plants.

(That being said, one of my positive surprises so far has been a Pittosporum sold by Cistus as a hardy cultivar, actually seeming hardy. About 5 years ago they goofed and sent one that died in the low teens. Not sure if it's "Tall & Tough" which is supposed to be hardiest.)

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Wed, Jan 22, 14 at 0:34

Lordnelson, you should post your question in the California Gardening Forum.
Mike

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/

Yes, this is CA. I lived in DC earlier and didn't notice the zone coming up automatically. I changed it in my other thread about the orange tree. This is zone 10.

Anyone know how much water these should typically get? I have them on 10 minutes every third day right now.

Thanks Mike. I find the whole forum structure on the garden part overwhelming and it seems like some of them are completely deserted with very few or no responses.