Desperate for help with my privets

[jmarzihu]

I need advice about my privet bushes. They were about 10 years old, 12-15 feet high or so. My husband was supposed to trim them and, to my utter dismay, he chopped them down to stumps. Pictures attached. I am devastated. My backyard is ruined.

In between sobbing, I have to try to figure out what to do next. Will they grow back? How can they grow back into a decent shape when their central structure is now just a bunch of stumps? If they won't grow back, then I guess I will have to hire a stump removal service to get the stumps out so I can plant new ones.

Finally, does anyone know a good divorce lawyer? Kidding... sort of.

Thank you so much for any help.

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[url=https://postimage.org/image/pvpr750qz/][img]https://s9.postimage.org/pvpr750qz/Dscn1377.jpg[/img][/url]

[WildcatNurseryman]

They should grow back in fairly short order. They have very extensive root systems for such small heads so their growth will be concentrated on forming new tops. In three-four years you should be back to where you probably meant for them to be when you asked him to trim them. I wouldn't fertilize them because the new growth will be so stringy and long that it will be weaker than you would like. The structure of the plant will eventually get back to "somewhat" normal on their own minus the fact that they will have disproportionately large bases.

[jmarzihu]

Thank you very much.