Hedge Pruning & Removal

The two main types of hedges are informal and formal.

Informal

Informal allow plants to grow to their normal height and develop their natural shape. Once they are full grown, they need very little maintenance.

Formal

Formal are clipped to perfect shapes and must be trimmed frequently and meticulously, if they are to look attractive.

Caring for your hedges while they are young is very important. Rapid growing shrubs, such as privet, honeysuckle, and barberry, tend to become tall, without lower branches, unless cut back frequently during their first few years. This does not apply to slow growing shrubs like box. If you have inherited an overgrown hedge, these can be brought back under control, but it will take a few years.

Time and frequency of pruning depend on the kind of shrub you have. A rapid growing hedge needs several trimmings a year. Whereas, other deciduous sorts need at least two trimmings. One of the trimmings can be made while the plants are still dormant (late winter or early spring). This way they are leafless and easy to cut accurately. The other can be when the new growth is at its peak.