THE ULTIMATE TRIMMING GUIDE FOR YOUR GARDEN
This article will take you through everything you need to know about hedge trimming and pruning in your garden. By the end of this article, you will be able to tackle any gardening task!
Cutting Hedges
How and when you cut your hedge depends on the type of plant and the design of your garden.
To keep the form of the hedge, trim back any unkempt growth after the plant has bloomed, but remove branches with secateurs rather than shears to prevent the problem of clipped leaves decaying.
You should take care of formal hedges regularly to make sure they maintain a clean shape!
Low-growing box hedges can be trimmed with vertical sides, but hedges over 30cm tall should be tapered slightly towards the top to allow light to reach the bottom. This will make sure that the entire hedge grows.
Do’s and Don’ts of hedge trimming!
Don’t
Don’t trim your hedges when they are dry – It’s best to water your hedges the evening before a trim in the summer.
Quick Tip: If you’re after a super straight line, it’s always best to use a hedge trimming guide. The simplest technique to create a straight and level line to cut against is to stretch a length of thread between two poles. To guarantee a constant shape along the hedge, pitched, domed, and other complicated hedge forms may require a wooden template.
Do
Keep all your tools sharp and clean. Give the blades a wipe down after use, before storing them and maybe even a quick spray with an organic oil to help keep the blade from rusting!
Keep an eye out for birds that are building their nests. If you’re cutting your hedges make sure there aren’t any birds nesting in them.
Cutting hedges for the first time
You should start trimming hedges as soon as you plant them, especially with blooming shrubs and strong non-flowering shrubs like hawthorn and privet. Reduce the plant’s height by roughly one-third. If you do this when your plants are young, your will avoid your hedges being thin and weedy at the base.
The next autumn, trim back new growth by half and begin pruning hedge side shoots to the desired width. Side shoots should be trimmed by a third, while leading shoots should be allowed to develop. The hedge will appear frail but don’t worry! It will grow back stronger.
When the plants reach a few inches over the desired hedge height, clip them. This will encourage a lot of side shoots, and the hedge will thicken up fast.
Renovating old Hedges
Old hedges, especially privet hedges, can become lifeless in places and need some love and attention! Hedges that have been neglected may need to be trimmed back to a reasonable height and breadth so that they can grow back stronger and healthier.
Because privet is semi-evergreen, some leaf loss is natural in the winter, but if you have a lot of areas with twiggy shoots and few leaves, it’s probably best to cut the hedge back severely, deep into the old branches. Privet reacts well to this, and new branches will emerge shortly, which may be trimmed every few months to encourage them to bush out rather than grow straight up.
Within a few weeks, new growth will develop on the old branches. If you feed the hedge with a manure or compost mulch, it will encourage the young shoots will grow.
Now just decide on the model that suits the scale of your job
Large Long or Tall hedges
PXC 2 x 18V Cordless Hedge Trimmer (PXCHTS-650)
This PXC 2 x 18V Cordless Hedge Trimmer is excellent for trimming and shaping shrubs and hedges around your house. Vertical and angled trimming is made easier with the ergonomic sure grip rotating rear handle, which also provides comfort and control. With the hedge raker attached it will help keep the cuttings away from the blade for bigger cleaner hedging.
PXC 18V Pole Hedge Trimmer (PXCPHTS-018)
This Ozito Cordless Pole Hedge Trimmer is great for cutting tall hedges or broad shrubs in the garden. The extended reach pole eliminates the need for ladders and eliminates the risk of harm while trimming tall hedges.
Small to medium hedges
PXC 18V Grass Trimmer and Shear (PXCGSS-018)
This PXC 18V Hedge trimmer and Grass Shear is excellent for modest trimming jobs on bushes, and shrubs in the yard. If it’s after a precision shaping of your hedge, then this is the tool to give you the sculpted look. You can go from hedge trimmer to grass shears for around those trees without using any equipment thanks to a simple rapid blade changing mechanism.
PXC 18V Pruning Saw (PXCPRS-018)
This PXC 18V Cordless Pruning Saw is a multi-purpose tool that can be used to cut a variety of materials in a variety of scenarios. The clamping jaw can grasp branches up to 60mm in diameter, making it easier to chop unsupported branches.
PXC 18V Pruning Shears (PXPRU-018)
The PXC 18V Cordless Trimming Shears are perfect for pruning a wide range of shrubs, fruit trees, branches, roses, and other blooming plants in the yard. The high-quality blades provide a clean, accurate cut that allows your plant to recover while removing the stress and effort of using traditional hand pruners.
PXC 18V Hedge Trimmer (PXCHTS-018)
This PXC Hedge Trimmer is perfect for shaping and cutting shrubs and hedges. It has a large bar and is still light enough to be used on tall hedges if needed. It’s the great all-rounder! Nimble enough to shape and cut straight lines.