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Learn our top tips for trimming hedges safely and effectively, including when to cut, what tools you need, and how to keep your hedges healthy all year-round.
Trimming hedges requires skill, strength, and vision. Whether you’re up a ladder cutting a giant fir or delicately shaping a swan into a common box hedge, knowing what you’re doing is essential for not just getting the right result but staying safe.
In this piece, we’ll explore why hedge trimming is important, the best times of year to cut different types of hedges, and the tools you’ll need to do the job properly.
We’ll also share practical guidance to help you trim your hedges with confidence and keep them healthy, ensuring your garden looks its best throughout the year.
More than just meeting the preferred aesthetics for your property (or the neighbourhood), the trimming of hedges is genuinely important for several reasons.
Firstly, by maintaining the shape and cutting away established growth, you actually make your hedge healthier. This works by allowing more light and air to travel in while stimulating new shoots for denser growth.
Secondly, the regular trimming of hedges can help support the environment by removing any dead or diseased areas. Improving the overall structure will support the local wildlife, offering shelter, nesting sites, and food.
Lastly, if your hedge separates your property from a road or pavement, trimming it back will help ensure you’re keeping pedestrians and vehicles safer. On the other hand, if your hedge separates areas of grass or farmland, it should improve the soil by preventing erosion and any runoff from neighbouring fields.
Now that we’ve dealt with why we trim our hedges, we can begin to tackle how. But before getting into the method, we should prioritise when the trimming of hedges should take place.
The type of hedge you have can dictate the best time for trimming. For example, evergreen hedges tend to need two cuts in May and September to keep them tidy, whereas a Beech or Hornbeam should be trimmed in late summer, early autumn.
However, the main thing is to avoid the nesting season. Under the Wildlife & Countryside Act of 1981, damaging or destroying an active nest is an offence.
As most UK birds nest in the spring and summer months, it’s best to leave your hedge cutting until the autumn and winter. The catch here is that the warmer weather is when we see most growth in your hedge. Then again, some birds will nest at other times of the year; it all depends on their food availability.
Therefore, whenever you decide to trim your hedge, make sure you inspect it for any active nests before cutting. We also recommend watching it for a few days before you plan to trim. If any birds are nesting, they will be popping in and out regularly.
After taking the time to check for any nesting birds, we’re ready to start trimming! Now, all we need to do is make sure we’ve got everything we need to do a decent job.
Here is a list of everything you need:
A well-trimmed hedge doesn’t just happen by chance. It’s the result of the right timing, tools, and know-how. Here are our six hedge trimming tips to make sure you’ve not just got the gear, but the right idea too!
Before you start cutting, you must picture how you want your hedge to look. For example, if you’re trimming the structure to have straight edges, you should try to locate the lowest point of the line and trim from that point along.
Before you begin, check both the top and bottom of the hedge for any obstacles such as fallen branches or debris. Clearing these away will help prevent damage to your hedge cutter or shears and reduce potential safety risks. It’s also a good idea to lightly oil the blades beforehand to keep them in good working condition.
If you’re using a tarpaulin or an old sheet to collect the trimmings, lay it down before you start cutting. By catching most of the cuttings as they fall, you’ll make clearing up much easier.
Let gravity guide your tools downward to the base of the hedge, then start trimming methodically upwards. Keep the blades parallel to the sides of the hedge as you move forward, maintaining steady, controlled cuts.
Once you begin, you’ll see a clear line start to form. Use this as a guide as you continue along the hedge for an even finish.
Trimming your hedge straight on top is difficult to achieve without a clear vision. By being on top of the hedge, it isn’t easy to see the shape you’re forming when trimming.
You might think you’re cutting it straight, but it might be going more wonky than you realise. And once it’s wonky, you’ll have to make adjustments. These adjustments can send your hedge lower than initially expected.
One solution is to tie a piece of string to mark your straight line across the top. You can do this by planting two canes at either end.
We recommend checking in with your progress regularly, especially when cutting the top. If you’re on a ladder, whenever stepping down after finishing another section, make a point to step back and look at whether you’re still on course.
Finally, it’s time to clear away the trimmings. If you didn’t lay down a sheet or tarpaulin beforehand, don’t worry, but the bigger the bag or sheet you use to bundle the cuttings, the easier the job will be.
If possible, use two rakes together like a pair of jaws to clamp the trimmings before lifting them into your bag or wheelbarrow. A wheelbarrow will significantly reduce the strain of heavy lifting when taking your waste away.
Finishing off with a leaf blower is a great way to remove those small clippings your rake can’t quite collect.
At Instant Scenery, we’re an award-winning garden maintenance company based in Worcester, providing expert hedge trimming as part of our day-to-day services.
Whether for domestic or commercial properties, our experienced team offers efficient, professional hedge trimming that keeps your hedges neat, healthy, and strong throughout the seasons ahead.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can improve the trimming of hedges in your garden, get in touch with our team today.
