i wouldnt go that drastic...

give them a couple months.. and see if anything buds out...

if by about july .. if nothing.. shovel prune ...

replace.. and protect from vermin

or.. just be done with them.. because they will drive you crazy either way ... lol ..

ken

They won't return if the rabbits return.

I sawed of a Gold Thread Cypress once. Right to the ground and left it. Damned if it didn't sprout and now looks like a groundcover.
I'll take a picture and post later today.
Mike

When part of a plant's top is lost cutting the rest of the top off does not help it - you are only adding to the damage. If you don't want to discard them maybe move to a protected, less visible location to see if after some years of recovery the look acceptable again.

To garden without animals deciding what results you get you have to fence the animals out.

The stump is 3 inches in diameter and one inch high. It was cut about five years ago.

{{gwi:659672}}

Great, thanks for all of the tips!