Hedging and hedges – maintenance

Formal hedges – those cut to a roughly rectangular shape - should be pruned twice a year using shears or a hedge cutter. It is useful to stretch a line between stakes to mark the cutting line, trimming just above the previous cut. Trim to create a 'batter' – which simply means that the hedge is slightly wider at the base – do this by stretching a cord between two posts, the inner one being four or six inches in from the outer one – use the faintly sloping cord as a sightline while you cut. this gradual tapering keeps the bottom fully clothed with leaves because it isn’t overshadowed by the top, meaning it loses access to sun (for photosynthesis and rain for cleansing pollutants off leaves) and avoids the risk of snow and wind damage because they tend to descend a slope rather than breaking a straight hedge.

Established informal hedges usually need only one annual cut and are better trimmed with secateurs - particularly if they have large leaves. The best time to trim varies. If your hedge has flowers, cut immediately after flowering or you will miss the display, although many people hold off pruning berrying hedges until spring to provide an autumn and winter food supply for birds. Most other hedges should be pruned between early and late summer. Newly planted hedges should have one third of their growth removed in the second year which will encourage dense, bushy growth.

If you’ve planted a new hedge – once it has reached the desired height, trim off the top six inches which forces it to make further dense growth up to the final hedge line – if you don’t do this, the top of the hedge tends to remain thin and wispy – for topping a hedge, lay a sheet underneath for easy removal of the clippings.

Feed hedges once a year - a light dressing of about a handful of slow release fertiliser per metre or yard length is adequate. Remember that pruning reduces the root spread as all plants balances growth above and below the ground, so it is important to keep the root area well supplied with nutrients as it is unnaturally truncated by the trimming done to the above ground growth.

Hedge gardening hedge maintenance photograph by rightee, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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