Easiest Way To Trim Hedges

Hedges are one of the most critical components of the garden. Therefore, grooming becomes vital to maintain the overall beauty of the garden. You may have noticed that periodic trimming and pruning leave a non-uniform touch on your garden. Hence, you need to give a little extra attention to the shape of these hedges. If you think this process is time-consuming and boring, you need to re-think because, with the right guidance, trimming hedges can be easy.

This article offers some smart tips that you can follow for a well-groomed and trimmed garden. If you’re a beginner, you ought to know certain criteria or points to keep in mind before beginning the trimming process. Here are a few common questions that can arise and their most simplistic answers for your start.

When Do Hedges Require A Trim?

Most varieties of hedges require a trim starting from May to October. Below is a list of species of hedges and the months for which they need an edge:

October– Fagus sylvatica

September- Taxus baccata

August- Carpinus betulus

July– Boxus

June– Crataegus

May- Ligustrum, Lonicera nitida, Viburnum tinus

Other factors that dictate when your hedges require a trim depends on whether the hedges are flowering or non-floral. Species of viburnum are floral and need an edge because they otherwise seem to be untidy. Other hedges such as Taxus and Boxes are formal and require a crisp and uniform trim for a refined look. Also, consider the textures and growth patterns of the hedges because most needs grow informally. Though they need little maintenance, you have to keep an eye on them at least twice a year.

Should The Hedges Be Water Before A Trim?

Hedges grow stiff and dry, mainly during the summer. One piece of advice is to clip the hedges in summer only after watering them. Doing so will reduce the crispness and refine the texture to give a smooth-shaped cut.

How To Trim The Hedges In A Perfect Shape?

We judge our vision and cut the lines thinking it is a uniform cut most of the time. However, make sure to keep support that would shape your trim. You can create a wooden template and keep it aligned with the hedges to give the desired shape. Apart from the shape, it will also consider the level hence maintain a complete uniformity.

How Do You Select The Right Trimming Tools?

For trimming hedges, mostly a power hedge trimmer or a manual hedge shear is utilized. The power trimmer is much easier to use because of its long blade that cuts the hedges uniformly. Apart from these tools, other equipment such as hand-held pruners and pruning loppers are perfect for shrubs.

How To Trim A Tall Hedge?

Tall hedges are challenging to maintain because you cannot reach the top to shape them accordingly. Most people make use of scaffold towers to chop these. Another piece of advice would be to use a mechanical trimmer with a blade to chop the extreme ends with ease in the right direction.

Can Uniform And Informal Hedges Be Trimmed In The Same Way?

The fundamental difference between formal and informal hedges is that they are sheared regularly while the latter is pruned only after they flower. Due to this difference, you can trim them the same way but at different times of the year. So you can use the same technique of pruning both types of hedges. However, pruning the informal once regularly can change them into uniform ones. Hence, keep in mind the timings of the prune and make a trim.

How To Trim The Hedges Properly

The first step involves selecting the right trimming tool. Read the tool’s standards and guidelines before you go into purchasing one. To start with the trim, chop out dead old shrubs that block the sunlight to reach the interiors of the shrubs. Almost one-fourth of the old-grown shrub needs to be pruned for a well-light-absorbed environment. Since the bottom of the hedge should be longer and wider than the top, make sure you trim the smaller portions of the bases first and then move towards the top. If the top leaves are left untouched, their growth will inhibit the sunlight from reaching the bottom. Doing so will cause the base to die out, making the entire shrub weak.

If you plan to trim your hedges according to a particular design, you should use a wooden template to prune the hedge according to the shape. One unique shape that most nurseries include is the topiary-shaped corkscrew-designed hedge. You can even utilize a metal frame to carve the ends of your hedges. This metal frame shapes the hedges in particular directions. Once they start growing, the hedges tend to grow out of the frames, and it gets hidden in the confined environments of the hedges.

Steps To Ensure Cutting Hedges For The First Time:

Step 1- Be it a flowering or a non-flowering plant, pruning the hedges as soon as you plant them.

Step 2- Reduce the height of the hedges to one-third for proper growth.

Step 3- In the autumn, prune the new growth to half the size and start by cutting the shoot sides to the width you want.

Step 4- Give a gap until the hedge reaches a height beyond what you want you to require, and then cut the extra parts.

If the hedges are old and need a touch to get their beauty back then, it is best to chop the hedges from the very roots. The shoots will regrow with the strength to bush out. Do not prune because the shoots have to grow a bit for the shrubs to return to their original length. 

The Bottom Line!

This article may have enlightened a spark in you to re-think your decision on growing hedges. Rather than simply spending tones on clearing and maintaining the hedges and employing huge labor, know about the right way to trim the hedges and shrubs for saving your time and energy. The first step is to select the right equipment and then use the tool for pruning. Select from a range of tools available, right from manual to automatic. It is best to select the one you are most comfortable with because you will be the one working with it. Knowing the right way to trim the hedges and shrubs will save your time and energy. In the end, it’s just your patience and enthusiasm to work towards your garden and lawn.