Ficus is not a hedge, it's a tree, and if you don't keep it trimmed back consistently, the bottom limbs get shaded out, die off and it forms trunks. It just needs a drastic pruning.

If it is growing under the shade of other trees, it's not going to be happy. There needs to be a fair separation between bottom of tree canopies and top of ficus hedge.

But it's too far gone to start treating it normally and hope for the best. That could take an eternity. Create the sun it needs and simultaneously cut the hedge to the ground, regrowing it and pruning it properly as it regrows.

I disagree about cutting it to the ground, maybe 1 foot above the ground, but I don't believe it's going to come back up if cut all the way to the ground. They grow quickly, so it won't take long for them, to regain height, since they already have an established root system. It also cannot just be trimmed from the top, but needs to be trimmed on the sides too. It should be pruned smaller at the top then the bottom, or the top will shade out the bottom and you'll end up right back where you are.

1", 6", 12" ... I'm good with all of that. But not higher.

Sure, ficus was used as a hedge forever. All the big houses in PB used to have giant ficus hedges, for example, but in recent years ficus has suffered from the depredations of the spiral whitefly and the best thing to do is to rip out and replace with something not affected by them.

ETA If it grows in your area, green buttonwood is a good fast-growing, easy-to-manage hedge plant.

thank you all very helpful

"Ficus is not a hedge, it's a tree"

A hedge isn't a specific type of plant.....it is how the plant is used. Hedges can be created from any type of woody plant, from low growing shrubs all the way to large growing trees.

Is that Ficus Benjamina? If so, it looks like many of the ficus hedges planted in this area. They are beautiful when young, but after a few years, well....Not only has the whitefly done it's damage around here, but this ficus isn't perfectly suited to being trimmed like a "hedge"

If it is pestered by an insect, it would be better to get rid of it and start over with a more durable, suitable material.