How To Trim Hedges: Best Tps

How to Trim Hedges for Better Health

Hedge upkeep is a simple procedure that can be readily incorporated into a gardening regimen. We get a lot of queries regarding how to trim hedges. Pruning hedges improve their general health and quality while keeping them at the correct size.

InstantHedge provides uniformly cut, finished hedges, so just an annual maintenance trim is necessary. Pruning should be limited during the first year of installation to allow the hedge to adjust to its new surroundings. Vigorous shoots that outgrow their companions may be trimmed, but that is it.

Annual hedge pruning should commence in the second and subsequent years of growth. The frequency and intensity will vary according on the hedge type. Slow-growing hedges (such as Emerald Green Arborvitae) may only need to be trimmed once every 2–3 years, whereas fast-growing hedges (such as Green Giant Arborvitae or laurels) may require two trims each year, especially if they are intended to be a compact formal hedge. The tables below show the pruning requirements for some of our most popular hedges.

The optimum seasons to prune hedges are in late spring, early autumn or winter (when the hedges are entirely dormant). Avoid pruning hedges during extremely hot, dry weather, and prune well before your first frost date. To minimise significant leaf burn, the best time to cut hedges is on a clear day.

When cutting conifer hedges (Thujas, Taxus, etc.), don’t go too long between trims. If you allow them to become overgrown and then try to fix it by trimming aggressively, they will most likely not backbud and “fill in”. They have fewer latent buds than other shrubs, so you’ll wind up with ugly, partially naked hedges. Trimming hedges more frequently and less severely yields the best benefits.