Maintaining healthy and attractive hedges requires regular pruning and trimming. Whether you’re working with young or established hedges, this guide provides all the essential techniques and advice to keep your garden in top shape.
Why Prune Your Hedges?
- Formative pruning encourages bushy growth in young hedges.
- Maintenance pruning ensures established hedges remain neat and dense.
- Hedges also offer practical benefits, including noise reduction, privacy, and pollution control.
Getting Started: Choosing the Right Tools
For smaller hedges, hand-held shears are sufficient, but powered hedge trimmers are ideal for larger hedges. Here are key considerations:
- Types: Electric, battery-powered, or petrol trimmers.
- Blade features: Consider length, reach, and whether the blade is single or double-sided.
- Power: Higher power and wider blade gaps handle thicker stems.
Modern battery-powered trimmers are lightweight, quiet, and effective, making them a great choice for most gardeners. Always ensure tools are sharp, lubricated, and in good condition.
For large-leaved hedges like cherry laurel, avoid powered trimmers to prevent unsightly cuts—use secateurs or loppers instead.
Safety Tips
- Wear safety goggles and gloves.
- Remove obstacles before starting.
- Use stable ladders or platforms for tall hedges. Tripod ladders with adjustable legs are ideal for uneven ground.
- Keep electric cables over your shoulder and use a residual current device (RCD).
- Avoid using powered tools in wet conditions.
Pruning Techniques
- Formal hedges: Keep sides slightly tapered (wider at the base) to ensure light reaches all areas.
- Informal hedges: Trim to the desired size and shape using secateurs for a natural finish. Prune at the correct time to encourage flowering.
Pruning Young Hedges
- Deciduous hedges: Prune in winter after planting, cutting back leading shoots by one-third to promote bushy growth.
- Evergreen hedges: Trim side shoots in spring (or summer for conifers) during the first two years to encourage density.
Pruning Established Hedges
Once your hedge has reached its desired size, maintain it with regular trimming:
- Evergreens: Trim 1–3 times during the growing season.
- Deciduous hedges: Trim once in late summer.
Refer to plant-specific pruning schedules for optimal results.
Common Problems
- Nesting birds: Check hedges between March and August to avoid disturbing nests, as it’s illegal to harm them.
- Overgrown hedges: Most hedges can be reduced in size, but conifers (except yew) won’t regrow from old wood. Replace overgrown conifer hedges if needed.
- Skin irritation: Wear protective clothing when pruning plants like Thuja plicata (western red cedar).
Dealing with Garden Waste
Pruning generates substantial green waste. Use it as mulch, compost, or dispose of it responsibly. Refer to waste management guides for practical solutions.