How to care for your hedge

To give your hedge the best care, it’s important to understand the specific needs of the plant and your local climate conditions.

Watering and nutrition:
Make sure your hedge gets enough water, especially during dry periods. You can use drip irrigation and automatic watering systems to avoid dragging out the garden hose every time. When establishing a new hedge, watering is particularly important.

Fertilizing:
Use a balanced fertilizer, such as cow manure, to provide the hedge with the right nutrients. Apply it early in the spring to give the hedge a good start, and possibly again in midsummer to support continued growth.

Pest and disease control:
Keep an eye out for signs of pests or disease. Common pests include aphids and spider mites, while typical diseases may include fungal infections like powdery mildew.

Pruning plan:
To avoid damaging your hedge, use proper pruning techniques. Don’t prune in extreme heat or cold. For deciduous hedges, try to follow the plant’s natural lines when trimming. When cutting conifer hedges, be careful not to remove too much of the outer layer, as this can create bare spots that are hard to fix.

Shape and structure:
To keep your hedge dense and tidy, it’s best to trim little and often. This encourages new growth and prevents the hedge from becoming sparse or overgrown. For long hedges, you can use string lines or a laser to ensure straight cuts.

The answer depends on what type of plant your hedge is, and when during the year it blooms. Deciduous hedges can usually be pruned in early spring, and conifers in autumn—but there are exceptions.

• Spring-flowering hedges such as spirea, flowering almond, and forsythia shouldn’t be trimmed in spring, as you’ll miss out on the blooms. It’s better to wait until around midsummer to prune them.
• Plants that produce sap in spring, like field maple and hornbeam, are best pruned during the JAS period (July, August, and September).
• Conifers such as thuja, spruce, and yew should be trimmed in late winter or autumn, when their growth period has ended.

If you prune your hedge early in spring, you may need to trim it again during the JAS period—especially if it’s a fast-growing, neatly trimmed deciduous hedge.

A general rule to keep in mind: it’s better to trim a little and often, rather than heavily and rarely. This helps the hedge stay dense and well-shaped.

Which tool you need depends on the type of hedge you have. You can trim with anything from a handheld hedge shear or small pruner to electric trimmers and loppers.

• A handheld hedge shear works great for low hedges when you want clean, straight cuts.
• A pruner (secateur) is ideal for removing individual leaves or small branches here and there.
• Electric tools are useful if you're trimming long stretches of hedge. Remove thicker branches with a lopper before using an electric hedge trimmer.
  

Tip: Always shape your hedge so that it’s wider at the base—this ensures sunlight reaches all parts of the hedge and helps prevent thinning at the bottom.

Prepare your hedge for winter by adding a protective layer of compost or mulch around the base. This helps insulate the roots. If your hedge is sensitive to frost, consider covering it with netting or a frost protection cloth.

• Make sure to wear the right protective gear when pruning, such as gloves and safety glasses.
• Check your tools regularly to ensure they’re sharp and in good condition. This makes pruning more effective and reduces the risk of damaging the hedge.
• If you’re unsure about when or how to prune a specific hedge, feel free to consult one of our gardeners for advice.

Below is a list of common hedge types along with pruning tips:

1. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus): A deciduous hedge that should be pruned during the JAS period (July, August, September). Let it grow to the desired height before trimming the top.
2. Lilac hedge (Syringa vulgaris): A deciduous hedge that tolerates heavy pruning. You can trim it throughout the season—just be mindful of the flowering period.
3. Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium): Also a deciduous hedge that handles hard pruning well. Cut it back early in spring or after midsummer. Avoid trimming too late in the season, as this can affect its winter appearance.
4. Thuja hedge (Thuja occidentalis): Trim the new growth either early in spring or during the JAS period.
5. Juniper hedge (Juniperus spp.): Prune early in spring, and trim the new shoots during the JAS period. Remember: hedges with a central leader should not be topped until they’ve reached the desired height. Multi-stemmed hedges, however, can be topped without stopping their upward growth.

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