How To Prune Hedges for Spring
Hedges can add a lot of character and style to your landscape. And they can
even add privacy to your yard; however, they’ll need a trim every season to
look their best. Here are some tips for beautiful and healthy hedges.
Preparation
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Here are some of the reasons why pruning
hedges is important:
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- Safety first. Hanging limbs can fall and cause
injury, so it’s best to remove them right away.
If you have branches that interfere with power
lines, call a professional for assistance.
- Pruning is important for a hedge’s health.
Damaged and diseased branches are just
extra weight on a hedge and should be removed.
- Crossing branches make a thick cover that will keep air and sunlight from reaching the inner and lower leaves. Thinning the cover will help minimize
fungus and disease. Also, heavy crossing ranches can rub against each other
which damages the bark.
- Suckers and watersprouts are undesirable growth that should be removed.
Suckers are small branches that grow at the base of the hedge trunk.
Watersprouts are small limbs that grow vertically on the dominant branches.
Both take nutrients away from the hedge plant.
- Pruning can direct growth. When a limb or branch is pruned, the hedge
plant will grow new limbs in a different direction. That helps develop a strong
branching structure.
There are two styles of hedge trims, both
covered in the following instructions:
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Informal hedge trimming gives the plant a
natural appearance and is limited to broad
shaping of the plant.
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Formal hedge trimming creates straight lines, angles and curves to give the plant an artistic shape.
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TIP: If you’re working on a ladder, don’t work above the second-to-last step, and don’t lean
into the plant to cut hard-to-reach branches.
The best time to prune hedges varies. If you’ve just planted hedges, it’s best to start trimming them about a year into their growth. This will help prevent the thick leaf cover that will kill the plant life near the roots and trunk. Once established, trim hedges based on when the plant blooms.
Trim non-flowering hedges after the buds swell and leaves have formed. In addition, you can do some light pruning on any type of hedge during summer months to keep the plant healthy and looking its best.
Here are a few practical tips on what NOT to do when pruning hedges:
Don’t just trim the tips. Every cut you make encourages new growth. If you only cut the tips, the hedge will grow a thicker cover (outside layer), which prevents air and sunlight from
reaching near the inner limbs of the plant.
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Don’t trim the hedge top wider than the base. If you do, the longer top branches block sunlight from reaching the base of the plant, and eventually the lower limbs will die.
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Don’t remove more than about 1/3 of the limbs while trimming. The limbs, branches, leaves and buds are needed for the plant’s health. If the hedge is severely damaged, it may take two or three growing seasons to return it to a healthy plant. Be patient.
Informal-Style Trimming
Trimming hedges for improved growth and a natural appearance is called “informal-style trimming”. For best results, review and follow the previously-mentioned guidelines on general pruning. The process of informal-style trimming is as follows:
01 Trim any limbs or branches that interfere with nearby plants or structures. If the branches interfere with power lines, call a professional for assistance.
02 Remove any dead limbs and branches, cutting them back to the plant’s trunk.
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03 Identify any dead spots behind the outer leaf cover. Just pull the branches back and take a look. If you see some dead spots, trim the leaf cover as needed to encourage new growth in these areas that don’t get sufficient sunlight and air.
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Formal-Style Trimming
Trimming hedges for symmetrical shape as well as improved growth is called “formal-style trimming”. For best results,
review and follow the previously-mentioned guidelines on Preparation and Informal Trimming. They’ll give you some tips to
keep the shrubbery healthy. The process of formal-style trimming is as follows:
01 Consider what type of hedge you have. Only certain types of hedges, like boxwood and holly, will be able to take on a geometric look. Others don’t shape as well and typically are trimmed for informal appearance. Ask a Lowe’s associate for specific recommendations.
02 Consider what shape you want the hedge to have. What do you want it to look like when done? Stand back and envision the results before you begin cutting.
To create straight-line hedge cuts:
01 Establish straight reference points. To get a straight cut on the top and sides, use
visual references such as the side of your house, siding or windows. Alternatively,
you can make straight guides using stakes and string:
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1. Insert two stakes in the ground at one end of the hedges, setting them at the desired width of the hedge.
2. About every ten feet, set stakes on each side of the hedge at that same width.
3. Tie strings around the stakes at the desired height.
4. TIP: You can use a square to make sure the stakes are lined up.
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02 Cut across the top of the hedges with electric pruners at a steady pace to get a nice, even cut.
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03 Cut the hedge sides in the same way, either using a visual reference or stakes
and strings to guide the cut. For a beveled cut that allows sunlight to reach lower
branches:
1. Set the stakes that will mark the bottom a little farther out.
2. Tie strings along each row of stakes to form a beveled guide.
3. Cut along the strings for a straight cut that offers lower branches the sunlight
they need.
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