Hedge Trimming Tips

Getting the little jobs out of the way early in the year will give you the springboard you need to achieve gardening perfection when the weather improves.

In the first instance try cutting your hedge from the bottom up using the lower end of the shears. This will ensure that your hedge isn’t pockmarked, and grows in an even manner. There is nothing worse than those ghastly gaps in your hedgerow!

Next, if you are inexperienced, cut by hand. We cannot emphasise this enough! If your cutting by hand your most likely to cut evenly and in smaller chunks. Many people new to gardening will take the technical solution and buy a hedge trimmer. Whilst there is a time and a place for such pieces of equipment, and they can be fun to use, it would be unwise for a novice to indulge.  They can take a huge chunk of your hedge out before you know it and leave your hedge looking uneven.

 Cutting your hedge by hand may take a little longer, but doing so will give you a great feeling of satisfaction. You will learn to respect your hedge, and tend to it properly.

Hedges are also a great place for wildlife to make their home. Using a hedge trimmer, you can inadvertently destroy a habitat or nest, which a bird or small mammal might be relying on.

If you want your hedge to be cut in a straight line, then a really handy tip is to take some even lengths of bamboo and tie some string between them. This will make certain that you keep those cherished straight lines.

A well trimmed hedge can help set you up for a productive spring and summer in the garden.

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