Trimming Hedges 101 (1 Viewer)

[Ted Lee]

hi all -

my new home has some hedges in both the front and back yard.

the ones in front are about 3-4 feet high - they look nice, but are crowding the bottom of the windows and blocking the view. the ones in back are much larger - they are taller than the top of my fence.

so, it's time for me to cut them back and make them look nice.

i bought an electric hedger, but i'm kind of "afraid" to tackle these things. i guess my main fear is that i may mess them up (aesthetically speaking). i think they're pretty durable so i don't think i'll kill them.

i should mention this - i'm a firstime homeowner and have no clue about maintaining a landscaped yard.

anyway, any advice is appreciated! i guess my main concerns are technique and aesthetics.

thx,

ted

 

[DonRoeber]

Try to cut on a straight line. Seriously, they're just hedges, they'll grow back I hacked away at a big hedge by my front door last spring. It didn't look so hot for a few weeks, but then it figured itself out. This year, it looks great, and it's no longer taking over my walkway.

 

[BrettB]

When I was a teenager me and my buddies worked for an apartment complex doing all the yardwork in the summer. One day one of my buddies was trimming some hedges with an elec. trimmer and I guess he was concentrating so intently that he didn't notice the extension cord and cut right through it. He survived.

Cut straight and always be mindful of the cords.

 

[Chris Baucom]

Cut straight and always be mindful of the cords

This is probably the best advice you can get. Plus, don't hack too much at a time. Once you get them to a good height, be mindful of when in the year you trim them back. If you have just shrubs, then it isn't a big deal. But if you have bushes that produce flowers, like azaleas, don't trim from early in the winter on or you'll cut off the new growth for the next year, which means no pretty blossoms the next spring.

On the cord thing, one thing I do is wrap the cord around my arm a couple of times up at the shoulder, or hook it through a belt loop as a sort of strain relief. That will keep it from getting too close to your trimmer. Also, don't just plug your extension cord directly into the trimmer. Wrap it around the handle once and then plug it in (that strain-relief thing again). That way you won't pull the cord off if it hangs up on something.

 

[Ted Lee]

okay...so cut straight. that i think i can do. heh!

if it's anything like my weedwacker (b&d hog something) then it has a built in strain relief mechanism - it locks the cord in place...pretty cool.

i'm not sure if the hedges have any kind of flowers...i kind of don't think so, but i believe my neighbor has a pretty green thumb, so i'll try to ask her first.

maybe i'll bust-out my edward scissorhands tecnique...

 

[Brian Mansure]

To add to what Chris said...

With most things that grow it's usually best to trim a little at a time. You could always take off a few inches, take a step back, see what it looks like and then take off more if necessary.

Another thing to watch out for besides the cord, is to not cut into the thicker branches of the shrub.
Most electric hedge trimmers that I've used can't properly cut branches thicker than 3/8 of an inch. If you try and cut the thicker stuff with the electric trimmers you could damage the shrub, the trimmer blades or possibly yourself if the trimmer jerks backward. (not a good thing)
If you really need to cut-back these shrubs heavily, I'd suggest using manual hedge pruner/clippers designed to make clean cuts on the thicker branches then use the electric clippers for trimming the smaller stuff and touch-up duties.

Also, wear at least gardening gloves to help protect your hands.

Be Safe and Good Luck,
Brian