Q. I have three Yew shrubs planted in my back yard. This string can serve two purposes – it can be used to cut the top of your hedge flat and it can be used to cut the side of you hedge straight as you look down it. I would strongly advise fitting a RCB electric safety breaker to the plugincase you accidently cut the cord- but hopefully this will not happen! There only drawback is also its upside and that is the battery. Sections, A HEDGE is great, as a boundary or as a backdrop for shrubs and flowers, and a hedge is an attractive garden feature on its own account, but what happens when hedges get too big, as they almost invariably do? It is so good to be able to use these shears without a dangerous lead trailing about –but the battery does not last forever so you do need to be near a house to plug in your charger. Leylandii is a type of conifer most frequently used to form hedges in the UK. This shaping is very important as it will allow light to penetrate downwards into the lower branches helping to prevent them from turning brown and dying. Some hedges cannot be cut down hard or split. Evergreen hedges should have their formative pruning done in spring. You are legally entitled to trim back hedges or branches of overgrown trees or hedges if they fall into your property from a neighbour's property or public area. You made need more than two posts if your hedge is quite long as the string will sag the greater the distance between the posts. Cutting back hedges that have been neglected is only the first step – maintaining them properly with fertilizer and regular shaping can be very rewarding. Evergreen hedges, such as boxwood (Buxus spp. If you are not sure which of these to get I would advise buying the battery shears or the gas shears. Having a nice looking hedge around your home or garden is something everyone enjoys. Keep the new face of the hedge as straight as possible when cutting back hard. Overgrown Privet Hedge Learning how to hedge bushes properly can help you add privacy and curb appeal to your home. Hedges should never be pruned or trimmed during the nesting season. Windbreak-  a good hedge provides a great windbreak for a garden or seating area without having the harsh look of a cement wall or panel fence. While it is great for this purpose, it can quickly grow out of control and cover garden paths, block light, or cause boundary disputes with neighbours. You can trim non-flowering shrubs anytime except late autumn when any new growth the plant has after trimming won't have time to mature before it goes dormant. For blooming shrubs, trim them in the winter when they're dormant to prevent stunting flower growth. Remove all dead, diseased or brittle branches and shoots from the overgrown hedge with bypass pruners or lopping shears. Hedges should never be pruned or trimmed during the nesting season. GrowerExperts.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, How Many Petunias Per Hanging Basket: The Facts, What Can I Use Instead of Peat Moss: Great Alternatives, Best Time to Cut Hedges Back: when and how. If just one centimetre is left each year, after 10 years the hedge can be 20 centimetres wider and 10 centimetres taller, and many hedges have much more than one centimetre of growth left in place. How to Cut Overgrown Hedges By: Carlye Jones 21 September, 2017 border hedges. Take the opportunity to clear out the base of the hedge, getting rid of ivy or other weeds and clearing out debris. These are the scissor type shears that have two handles that you open and close. Menu Cutting back large Yews | How do I prune large Taxus Cutting back large Yews or Taxus Severe pruning of overgrown Yew hedges. This is especially true if your property runs alongside a busy road with cars and traffic. Hedge trimmers with pivoting cutting heads and extended reach are the best for tall overgrown hedges. Make vertical cuts in the crotch of the branch where it meets the trunk. But action can be taken. 2 Find long stems that grow out of hedge, and snip them close to the ground. I wouldn’t really bother with the corded one unless you have a burning desire for one! Some hedges are best pruned after flowering. A laurel hedge should be maintenance pruned in Mid- August, if you are using powered shears to trim the hedge it may be worth wile to go back over it again with hand shear to remove any half ripped leaves which can make the hedge look ragged. Informal hedges can usually be trimmed annually and more formal hedge should be pruned twice every year – some may even need three cuts a year to look their best. Many people buy these if their hedge is close to the house and it is not very big or they were bough years ago before cordeless and gas were an option. This will look better or have more of an impact on some hedge breeds more than others. You should start cutting the hedge at the bottom and work your way upwards- moving your hedge trimmer in a steady sweeping movement up and down. Before you start to trim your hedge you should keep in mind that you can always take away more but never add to a hedge – so keep the depth of cut light until you get a feel for using the trimmers. Remember to clean and oil your trimming tools to avoid rusting . 1. Deciduous hedges which shed their leaves in the winter require formative pruning in winter. You have: Out of these the gas engine powered shears would be the most heavy duty and be able to cut through the heaviest, thickest branches. If you’d like to know more,  see my about page…Thanks! Even if you don’t want to do this everytime, it would be good to cut it really straight every now and then so that you could not have to put up string for maybe 5 or 6 cuts before your eye lets you down and the hedge starts to lose its shape. It should be formative pruned hard in spring (End of April) to get it into shape and to prevent it getting too large. The top of the hedge is always the last part to cut and it should be cut flat. 5 Use hand pruners to thin stems. I have compiled a short guide for different species of hedge including how and when they should be pruned: Beech hedges are usually maintenance pruned in September getting a little re growth before winter when it can be formative pruned into shape.