Many hedges should be trimmed back in the winter when the sap is down and the hedge is in dormancy. However, some hedges, like Beech and privet, and evergreen varieties like Cherry Laurel, should be pruned in summer, too.
Why some hedges should be cut in Summer
Some hedge varieties have unusual growth habits. These varieties, like Beech, produce two flushes of growth, one in spring and one in summer, rather than steady growth throughout the growing season. Ideally, you should cut them back after each flush to keep them neat and tidy.
Specifically, for evergreen hedges, there are a few reasons why they need to be trimmed in summer:
- Being vigorous trees, evergreens like Conifers can stand being trimmed back twice yearly.
- More frequent trimming will result in a denser, thicker hedge, making it ideal for creating a boundary or a windbreak.
- Trimming in summer and late spring means the shoots will be easier to cut with shears or a hedge trimmer, as they haven’t had the chance to become tough and woody yet.
Before you get started
In the UK and the EU, hedges cannot be cut between 1 March and 31 August because birds use them to build their nests.
While this law only applies to hedges on agricultural land and not in your garden, we advise you to check your hedges before you start cutting to make sure you’re not harming any nests. Here’s how you know if birds are nesting in your hedge:
- There are birds frequently flying to and from your hedge.
- There are nests within the hedge. If you find one, see if there are eggs in it—broken eggs show that it is old and not in use.
- There is an increased bird song activity, like frequent chirping and trilling. Birds carry food like worms and insects to feed their young into the hedge.
- Aggressive behaviour from birds where your hedge is.
Steps to cutting back your hedge in summer
Now you’ve checked that your hedge is free of nesting birds, you can go ahead and trim your hedge back:
1. Set up a cutting guideline
This is so you don’t trim more off than necessary. Also, it serves as a guide for keeping all sides of your hedge straight and even so, you can have a neat and tidy hedge after you’re done.
A cutting guideline can be set up using garden canes and tying a string between them. Simply insert some canes into the ground around the edges of the hedge at your desired distance. Then, tie a string from one cane to the other at the preferred height you want to cut back to.
2. Check over your cutting tools before you start
You want your cutting tool to be sharp to minimise the risk of infection and for a neat cut. If you’ve maintained your cordless hedge trimmer blade correctly, this shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, there are more advantages to using a hedge trimmer:
- Efficient and powerful hedge trimmers like the EGO HT6500E will cut through tough, woody stems quickly and with little fuss.
- A battery hedge trimmer is lightweight and comfortable to handle, making it easy to get a uniform cut.
- With various battery sizes available for cordless hedge trimmers, you have more flexible power options to suit your specific needs and garden size.
- You can trim a variety of shrubs and plants due to their ability to handle different plant types and branch thicknesses.
- Using a hedge trimmer reduces strain, saves you time and conserves your energy to complete other gardening tasks.
3. Cut your hedge from bottom to top
Start by cutting back the sides of your hedge, making sure not to cut beyond the distance of the canes and string you have set. If you are using a cordless hedge trimmer, use a steady sweeping motion from bottom to top. Repeat this step until you have achieved smooth-looking sides to your hedge. Also, be careful not to cut too deep into the hedge, as you might remove dormant buds which would otherwise replace the greenery you’ve just cut off.
4. Trim the top level
Using the guidelines you have created, trim the top of your hedge so it’s flat and level from one side to the other. To do this effectively, firmly hold your hedge trimmer so the blade is parallel to the surface of the level you want your hedge to be.
Just like before, you should use a steady sweeping motion from one direction to the other until you have the desired level, making sure not to cut too deep and remove dormant buds.
5. Round off the edges
You’ll find that after you’ve cut the sides and top of your hedge, there will be sharp edges. To finish these off, finish cutting your hedge by rounding off the edges with a 45° bevel cut.
This will improve the appearance of your hedge and protect it from damage caused by ice, frost, and snow over the winter.
Browse the EGO gardening calendar for more garden tips
Our new gardening calendar is organised season by season. Now you know what gardening jobs need doing and when so you can have a healthy and thriving garden year after year.
Also, there is plenty of information on how to maintain many of your EGO cordless garden tools as you go about your gardening throughout the seasons. Have a browse through, expand your gardening knowledge and put it into practice with the help of the EGO range.