On Nov 14, 12:53*pm, dpb wrote:
On 11/14/2011 11:34 AM, wrote:
...

But, if I could identify exactly what type of shrub it is, maybe I could do
a little more research on how and when to trim them etc.

...

The good news is that if you want to start over, nurseries are
having Fall blowouts and these aren't expensive. *I could
get new ones, about 2ft in size for $10 -15 now in NJ.

...

The really good news if that is the idea/ok, you can simply cut them
back for nothing. *See last para. of

http://www.aboutarborvitae.com/pruning_arborvitae.shtml

There were several here that did that at least three times I can recall.
* Eventually took them out because they were simply too large a plant
for the location, but they would have gone through the cycle indefinitely..

--

....and on a somewhat related note....

I was watching Ask This Old House this weekend. Roger Cook was helping
a homeowner remove an overgrown shrub.

I don't recall the name of the very alive shrub that he cut down to
ground level, but his comment was "We don't have to remove the stump,
it will never sprout. We'll just plant around it." He used a chain saw
to cut the multi-trunked stump flush with ground level.

Why wouldn't *any* previously healthy shrub try to regenerate itself?
I don't think I've ever been able to just cut something down to the
ground and not have it grow back.

I recall a certain pussy willow bush that I cut back for years before
I finally busted out the shovel, ax and pick and removed every last
trace of the rotting stump to stop the annual regrowth.

I also recall a mimosa tree whose roots shot up lines of sprouts all
over my yard even after the stump had been cut free and dragged away.
I ended up having to dig up the yard and pull the entire root system
to stop the sprouts.

What kind of shrub could Roger have cut back that will never sprout
again?