Welcome to the Garden Ninja Gardening Forum! If you have a gardening question that you can't find answers to then ask below to seek help from the Garden Ninja army! Please make your garden questions as specific and detailed as possible so the community can provide comprehensive answers in the online forum below.

Welcome to the ultimate beginner gardening and garden design forum! Where no gardening question is too silly or obvious. This online gardening forum is run by Lee Burkhill, the Garden Ninja from BBC 1's Garden Rescue and a trusted group of experienced gardeners.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert gardener, it's a safe place to ask garden-related questions for garden design or planting. If you have a problem in your garden or need help, this is the Garden Forum for you!

Posting Rules: This space is open for all garden-related questions. Please be polite, courteous and respectful. If you wouldn't say it to your mum's face, then don't post it here. Please don't promote, sell, link spam or advertise here. Please don't ask for 'cheeky' full Garden redesigns here. They will be deleted.

If you need a garden design service, please use this page to book a design consultation. I will block anyone who breaks these rules or is discourteous to the Garden Ninja Community.

Join the forum below with your gardening questions!

Ask a Gardening QuestionGardening Questions & Answers: How to garden questionsWill my conifer grow back?

Please or Register to create posts and topics.

Will my conifer grow back?

#1 · 8th March 2023, 5:43 pm

#2 · 9th March 2023, 4:10 pm

Hi @michelle0619

The quick answer is no. I'm afraid your Conifer won't grow back looking at those heavy pruning cuts.

The reason for this is that Conifers have super strong apical growth at the very tips of branches. Unlike other plants that when pruned, send their energy back down into side shoots, conifers don't do this.

If you cut back into old wood conifers won't regenerate. That's why pruning them needs to be done a little and often 2x a year as they grow, never cutting back into old wood. This helps keep a good shape and prevents holes from appearing where they've been cut back to old wood.

There's a really good question here with more detail on why Conifers need to be pruned carefully rather than being hard pruned or brutalised with chainsaws.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

All the best

Lee