Our hedge care throughout the year tips

Posted on August 11, 2017 in Gardening

Turn your hedge into an Eye-catcher.

Whether deciduous or evergreen with leaves or needles: every hedge needs to be cared for. However, a number of factors have to be taken into account with hedge care. Here you will find everything you need to know about hedge types and cutting techniques.

Cutting techniques.

The right way to cut your hedge.

Hedge cutting is an important part of hedge care. Various different techniques can be used depending on the age, condition and type of the hedge. Especially in the first few years of a hedge’s life, cutting is important in order to stimulate its growth and density. Older hedges can also be rejuvenated by correct cutting. Dry, frost-free, overcast days are ideal for cutting. Here you can find out which cut is best to use and when.

Pruning or shaping.

Pruning not only cuts your hedge into shape – it also ensures that the hedge grows denser in the long term. Pruning involves cutting off 10-15 cm of the new shoots in a straight line. This enables you to determine the desired height and growth rate of your hedge in the long term.

Evergreen hedges normally require pruning once a year. Deciduous hedges usually require pruning twice a year, and you can even prune fast-growing beech hedges three times if you like. The ideal time to cut is when the new shoots have matured. You should wait until August to prune so that brooding birds are not disturbed. Autumn is suitable for a second pruning.

Pruning usually involves cutting relatively young and thin branches, so it can normally be done using a hedge cutter with smaller tooth spacing.

Cutting back.

A vital part of hedge care is cutting back which can be done lightly or heavily. This depends on the condition of the hedge. Lightly cutting back (also known as a rejuvenation cut) involves shortening the fruit-bearing shoots by two thirds. When doing so, competing shoots are removed. This promotes strong growth of new shoots. With hedges descended from trees (e.g. field maple, hornbeam and copper beech), heavier cutting back of at least three quarters of the tips of the shoots in the first year will stimulate very branched-out growth.

Cutting back should be done at most once a year, ideally in winter. The deeper you cut the hedge back, the thicker the individual branches. When choosing a hedge cutter, you should therefore make sure that the branches you want to cut are not thicker than the tooth spacing of the hedge cutter.

Radical cut.

Radical cutting can help when hedges get old, grow very much out of shape or develop gaps. With this so-called “down-to-the-trunk” method, you cut the wood back down to the thickest stem (approx. 50 cm high). It will then grow back denser.

Radical cutting should be done during winter depending on the hedge type – but not at temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius. Since this type of cut involves cutting through thick branches, it is advisable to use a hedge cutter with large a tooth spacing and a powerful motor.

Hedge types.

Deciduous hedges.

These hedge types lose their leaves in autumn and revegetate in spring. Deciduous hedges usually require pruning at least twice a year, while younger hedges may even require more. Depending on whether you want the hedge to continue growing or not, you either cut away a smaller or larger proportion of the new growth. Hedges that have developed gaps over the years can be rejuvenated with a radical cut. Make sure that you never cut at temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius – this could damage the plants. Here you will find further important details about deciduous hedge types, such as cutting techniques and times.

Privet.

• Pruning: 2 to 3 times a year in spring and autumn; young plants up to once a month
• Radical cut/Cutting back: Cut back first between winter and March; cut back young plants a second time from July
• Bloom period: May/June
• Growth: Approx. 40 cm per year
• Height: Up to 7 m
• Fruit slightly poisonous
• Popular nesting place for birds

Hornbeam.

• Pruning: For the first 2 to 3 years, from February/March trim young plants continuously
• Radical cut/Cutting back: July/August (on older hedges)
• Bloom period: April/May
• Growth: Approx. 40 cm per year
• Height: 1-4 m
• Not poisonous
• Popular nesting place for birds

Hawthorn.

• Pruning: June and September
• Radical cut/Cutting back: Autumn until March (not at temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius); maximum one third of overall height
• Bloom period: May to June
• Growth: Approx. 20-40 cm per year
• Height: 2-5 m
• Not poisonous, berries edible
• Popular nesting place for birds

Field maple.

• Pruning: From July until the end of September
• Radical cut/Cutting back: February (frost-free day); to 50 to 60 cm
• Bloom period: May
• Growth: Approx. 45 cm per year
• Height: 2-4 m
• Not poisonous
• Popular nesting place for birds

Evergreen leafed and needled hedges.

These hedge types delight their owners in winter with green leaves or needles. They should only be cut once a year to ensure that they sprout sufficiently. Slightly tapered shaping – a little wider at the bottom than at the top – will be in keeping with its natural shape and will ensure that its lower branches get enough light. Older hedges that have bald spots can be rejuvenated with a radical cut. Here you will find all the relevant information about the different evergreen hedge types, such as the correct cutting times, bloom period and growth.Evergreen leafed and needled hedges.

Lilac.

• Pruning: Regular cutting not necessary; possible to cut off withered blossoms (remove old wood in autumn/winter if necessary)
• Radical cutting/Cutting back: Possible all year round, but preferably in dry, sunny weather (note: there will be no bloom the following year)
• Bloom period: April to May
• Growth: Approx. 30-50 cm per year
• Height: Up to 4 m
• All plant parts poisonous
• Popular nesting place for birds

Rhododendron.

• Pruning: After bloom (watch out for brooding birds)
• Radical cut/Cutting back: In early spring (not in frost!)
• Bloom period: April to June
• Growth: Approx. 10-20 cm per year
• Height: Up to 1.20 m
• All plant parts poisonous
• Offers little protection for birds

Yew.

• Pruning: Theoretically throughout the entire gardening season, ideally in spring (not below -5 degrees Celsius!)
• Radical cut/Cutting back: Not in frost or blazing sun (hedges can turn brown); radical cutting not recommended
• Bloom period: March to April
• Growth: Approx. 20-40 cm per year
• Height: Up to 15 m
• Needles and seeds poisonous
• Popular nesting place for birds

Cherry laurel.

• Pruning: Until June; cut a second time in autumn if growth is strong
• Radical cut/Cutting back: March to June
• Bloom period: April to June
• Growth: Approx. 40 cm per year
• Height: Up to 7 m
• Poisonous fruit
• Popular nesting place for birds

Holly.

• Pruning: July/August
• Radical cut/Cutting back: July/August
• Bloom period: April to June
• Growth: Approx. 10-20 cm per year
• Height: Up to 7 m
• All plant parts poisonous
• Popular nesting place for birds

Box tree.

• Pruning: Before September (watch out for brooding birds)
• Radical cut/Cutting back: March/April
• Bloom period: March to May
• Growth: Approx. 10-15 cm per year
• Height: Up to 8 m
• All plant parts poisonous
• Popular nesting place for birds

Thuja.

• Pruning: Theoretically throughout the entire gardening season; if cutting once, ideally towards end of June – Do not cut behind the green blossom because this may cause holes to form
• Radical cut/Cutting back: Cannot handle a radical cut; it is better to trim down its height
• Bloom period: April to May
• Growth: Approx. 30-40 cm per year
• Height: Up to 3 m
• All plant parts poisonous
• Popular nesting place for birds

Hedge care in spring and summer.

When the new shoots have matured in spring, you can prune in frost-free weather (spring cut). This cut is excellent for stimulating the sprouting and density of the hedge. You can shape your hedge again by pruning it a second time from August onwards (summer cut). Please note that heavily cutting back and radical cutting in spring and summer can endanger brooding birds and must therefore be done only in winter.

Young hedges should be watered continually in spring and summer. Older hedges, on the other hand, normally have deep roots and only need additional water during lengthy dry spells.

Hedge care in autumn and winter.

If a hedge is pruned or shaped before winter, it will retain this shape until it sprouts again in spring. A good time to do this is the dormant phase in autumn starting in October, as long as the ground is not yet frozen.

For deciduous hedges, the sap dormancy period in late winter is the ideal time for heavier cutting back or radical cutting. However, make sure that you do not cut your hedge at temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius. Heavier cutting back should be finished by March to ensure good sprouting in spring and to not endanger brooding birds. Do not fertilise heavily cut-back hedge shrubs until they have sprouted again and can actually utilise the nutrients in their leaves.

For more information on our hedge care services please visit Protech Garden Solutions.