When to prune your hedge?
Hedges, just like many other plants and our grass require maintenance in order to look neat and healthy. They need formative pruning and general maintenance trimming to stay within bounds. As hedges are often made out of different varieties of trees and shrubs, it’s only normal that their pruning times vary.
There are lots of varients to consider, the time of year, weather, variety of hedge, nesting birds and the age of your hedge!
Hedge cutting to stimulate growth
Formative pruning is normally carried out in winter or early sprint with the first prune taking place when the hedge has been planted for two to three years.
The intention behind pruning hedges is to prevent dead or dying branches from harming neighbouring plants and people. By removing these branches you allow the hedge’s flowers or fruits to blossom. Unlike maintenance trimming, pruning isn’t done to slow down the growth of the hedge, but to actually stimulate it. Other reasons gardeners prune their hedges is to remove diseased or pest-ridden branches.
Pruning to maintan your hedges
Maintenance trimming refers to tidying up a hedge or shrub by cutting back on overgrown branches. While pruning focuses on the hedge’s health and the safety of its surroundings, trimming is done mainly for aesthetic purposes. Yet, excessive overgrowth can also be harmful to your hedge as it can reduce the amount of light and moisture it receives, stuttering its growth. Therefore trimming is just as important as pruning.
Maintenance trimming is usually carried out once a year for informal hedges and twice for formal ones. However, there are certain hedges which might require three cuts a year. If you’re wondering when to trim your hedges, it’s usually done sometime between spring and summer.
You do, however, have to take into account potential nesting birds as nesting season may run from March to August. If you notice any nesting activity in your hedges, consider postponing the maintenance trimming for after the season passes.
If you are looking for a contractor to undertake hedge pruning and any other aspect of your grounds maintenance read more about our services here.