How to Trim and Maintain Your Hedge

An arranged garden also means a hedge, which must be cared for every year. Here's how to put one together for use with your long-term hedge.

First of all, we must understand that it is necessary to mow a hedge not only for aesthetic reasons, but also to keep it healthy. By pruning, the shrubs regenerate, and they grow vigorously and healthily.

The best time to mow a hedge is in April because then the weather is perfect for the first cut of the year. To avoid any injury, be sure to always wear goggles, gloves, and an apron.

 Shortening is done at most once a year and usually in winter so that the shoots grow stronger. This procedure is performed depending on the condition of the hedge.

When we talk about an old hedge, the process is called radical cutting or up to the stump. This process causes a bushy growth in the next season and is usually done in winter, but not at temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius.

How to mow the hedge and what are the steps?

You can use several tools to mow a hedge, but the most popular and easy to use is an electric trimmer or scissors. These scissors can also be used for grooming trees in the yard and come with blades made of laser-cut steel and diamond polish.

If you do not have a trimmer, you can choose one of these garden shears:

• for shrubs that have thin branches, between 1–2 cm in diameter, you must use bypass hand scissors because it provides a precise cut and you can prevent unwanted breakage of the branches

• if we are talking about shrubs with thicker branches, you should use a pair of scissors with longer handles

• To cut dry branches, you need to use anvil hand scissors, as this will cut the thicker branches without any problems.

• for a high fence, use scissors with telescopic handles

Now that we've clarified what tools are needed and what protective equipment is needed, let's see what steps you need to take to cut a hedge.

Well, start by removing all the dry or diseased branches, but be careful not to break the healthy branches as well. If other plants have grown through the hedge, they must be removed.

After you have finished removing the dry or diseased branches, it is good to disinfect the utensils so as not to spread any diseases from the branches with problems.

Branches that grow crookedly or at inappropriate angles or too close to each other should be cut.

To make sure that we cut the branches correctly, we must protect the main branches and branches. Moreover, the hedge is not cut when it is in full foliage, because it will be harder to recover.

Follow the growth line of the shrubs, locate the buds and make a straight cut at about 0.5–0.6 cm above them. Do not cut obliquely, because you risk the sap draining and the plant drying out. If the cutting takes place too far from the bud, for example in the middle of the branch, the plant may catch mold.

Pruning the hedge during the year and long-term maintenance

As I said, the first hedge is cut in the spring, and April is perfect for this operation. However, after we cut the fence, we need at least 3–4 cuts that are made during the year, to maintain its shape but also its health. You should know that the hedge is usually cut in the morning to avoid the heat of the summer days because the bushes may suffer.

To make your work easier, you can use a guide rope. Start trimming the fence at the top and then follow the sides that do not have the same growth rate as the top.

The hedge is fairly easy to maintain throughout the year. We must constantly remove dry branches, but also those that are sick or damaged by pests. We can make sure that we stop the spread of diseases by spraying herbicides, using a spray pump.

Also, if weeds or parasites appear, they should be removed regularly because they can deprive the shrubs of the nutrients needed for growth.

The branches you cut, which are disease-free, can be finely chopped using a shredder and you can turn them into organic compost. This compost can be used for the garden.