25-year old burning bushing 10 ft tall cut to about 3 ft

Burning bushes growing around the outside of fence were radically pruned (no a saw was used!). They were allowed to go unpruned basically for the last ten years. They were unsightly and unattractive. Only one side was pruned (9/22). The other three were not cut. Questions: 1) What should be done with the cut side? I thinking burning bushes are hardy types and will start to grow back in Spring of 2011. Others want to yank them out and replant. 2) What should be done with the other three sides? They are too tall! Help, please.

Was it 10 feet tall and the top cut to 3 feet tall? (your title) Then later you say they are too tall. Sorry, not clear if they have already been cut.

Also, are they yours? You say "others" want to yank them out. Is it your fence, your property? or are you one of many caretakers?

Without knowing any other facts I say, why keep a plant that you know is too big for its location when you know you will have to fight it constantly to keep it in check?

And - Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) is considered an invasive species in the northeastern states.

Eliminate them, and plant a friendly Viburnum species...

Typical genus-ist propaganda! >:)

I'm so sorry.

I'll go sit in a corner with my punishment...

Don't worry about hurting the shrub. It's a Euonymous alatus and they are very tough.
Take all sides down to a manageable height, like 4 to six feet. Trimming it that severely will open up the inside which probably doesn't have a lot of leaves. When it warms up in the Spring, sunlight will be able to get into center of the shrub and you should get good leaf development in the center. That will make for a healthier, more attractive plant.

Sorry, I've been out of town. Thank you for all your responses. To clear up the confusion - the bushes have been cut down only on one side (of four). All sides were over 10 ft. The bushes on one side were cut to 3.5 ft. What's left on each plant are three or four branches about 5 inches in diameter.

The property is jointly owned. I now have responsibility.

Most plants are far more hardy than people believe. I've seen other shrubs cut almost to the ground come back strong the next year or two. Maybe I'm being too optimistic.

Again I'll say, why have a shrub that you have to butcher every year because it's too big for the space it's in?

I agree with plantfreak. You can certainly hack it back to whatever size you want and I'm sure it'll come back just fine, but plants that want to be 2-3 times the size you want them to be become a headache since you're constantly having to prune them. If you really want something smaller there, it's much easier in the long run to replace them with shrubs that will naturally stay the size you want them to be, then you can have a nice hedge without having to work nearly as hard.

We have older ones that we have cut way back each year -- 3-4 feet at least-- and they do fine. Wait until the spring and see what they look like. If some sides were not cut, I would cut to make them all uniform.