Instructions for trimming hedges in spring and autumn

There are hardly any hedges that don't need to be cut at all. As a rule, every hedge must be brought into shape regularly. Depending on the type of plant, there may be a rule for pruning or topiary. Basically, however, the rule of thumb is valid: the cut in spring should be completed by mid-March, the cut in summer begins at the end of July.

Protection periods for hedges

Protection times apply to all hedges. They serve to protect our domestic animals and extend from 1. March to 30. September of the year. During this time, only light topiary cuts may be made to a hedge. Anyone who does not comply with these protection times commits an administrative offense that can be punished.

The right time

In principle, any hedge can be shaped all year round. However, it makes sense to find the best pruning time for the respective variety and only then pruning. Then the cut will not cause any damage and the hedge will thrive. The early spring is particularly good for a cut. The trees have not yet sprouted and therefore only look bare for a short time. The new shoots quickly cover the interfaces. And the breeding business of the birds is not disturbed at this time. The hedge breeders among the birds are not disturbed.

The day for a hedge trimming should ideally be overcast. Too much sun damages the interfaces. If you cut it before winter, the temperatures should still be in the positive range, otherwise the hedge will look bare all winter and is not nice to look at.

If the hedge is around St. John's Day, which is the 24th. Cut in June, it often drives out a second time. After that, there will be silence for this year. From the end of August, cutting is prohibited. The tips that are then expelled cannot mature until frost and can therefore easily freeze to death.

If you really want to trim the hedge before winter, then autumn from mid-October to early November is the right time. The hedge plants are now already in the dormant phase. Now a cut is quite unproblematic. The prerequisite is that the ground is not frozen and there is no sun. Late afternoon is ideal. Then not only has the plant sap withdrawn from the branches into the trunk and the sun can no longer dry out the interfaces.

The exceptions

An exception to hedge trimming are early flowering shrubs. These are only cut after flowering. A cut in February or March destroys the already existing flowers and the magnificent flower is destroyed. Therefore, all flowering shrubs should only be cut after flowering.

The right hedge trimming

Hedge plants are therefore cut regularly so that they do not grow too high or too wide. In addition, the cut stimulates branching and makes the hedges nice and dense. This is especially important for evergreen plants. There are also basics that should be observed with every hedge trimming.

• Cut an evergreen hedge in a trapezoidal shape, i.e. wider at the base than at the crown. Important for a lot of light.
• A straight cut allows the lower parts of the plant to be slightly bare from the inside out.
• Better to round off right-angled corners. This also brings more light into the interior of the hedge plant.
• For a straight hedge trim you need tools like a stretched cord.
• Do not cut in the sun as the cutting edges burn easily.
• In snowy areas, trim the hedge at the top. This prevents snow breakage.
• Wear gloves when cutting. This can protect against injuries.

Cut deciduous hedges

Deciduous hedges can usually also be severely cut back. They also reliably sprout again from old wood. The cut is made from top to bottom. Check the overall picture again and again. Here, too, a horizontally stretched cord can be a good help. Again, the top should be cut narrower than the bottom.

Cut needle hedges

Needle hedges do not forgive pruning mistakes. That's why it's important to stick to the trapezoidal shape right from the start. If the plants become bare, the damage can hardly be corrected. With a thuja or a cypress, it takes years for the holes that have been made to grow back. In coniferous trees, such damage is irreparable. Coniferous hedges are cut for the first time a year after planting. They need rest to grow. From the second year, regular pruning is required, even if the desired height has not yet been reached. Since thujas are poisonous, allergic reactions can occur if they come into contact with the skin.

Pruning evergreen hedges

Evergreen hedges such as boxwood, medlar or cherry laurel should not be trimmed with electric hedge trimmers. Too many leaves are injured. Pathogens penetrate through the resulting wounds and everything also looks very ugly. A cut with secateurs is more work, but it is better for the health of the plants and the result looks much nicer.
In the case of evergreen conifers, if the main shoots are 20 to 30 cm higher than the desired height of the hedge, they are topped 15 cm above the crown height. Sufficient sprouting can form to overgrow the cut surfaces.

cutting tools

There are many hedge trimming tools available. Important when choosing are sharp blades, powerful pruning shears and good saws. Telescopic tools are ideal because they do not require a ladder. Cordless devices make you independent of a power connection. Provided the battery lasts a long time, working with it is simply fun.

Worth knowing about hedge trimming shortly

Cutting a hedge is usually not really difficult. Depending on the length of a hedge, however, it can be really exhausting. That's why keeping regular pruning appointments and sharp tools are a real help. Free-growing hedges do not require any pruning, but they require a lot of space. There is hardly that much space left in a normal garden.

• A hedge trimming should in spring and early summer take place, that is, in May and in June, before the shrubs cast out
• The second cut should then take place in the second half of August to October.
• If you have planted a hedge with leaves, you can also cut it in winter.
• One cut per year is usually sufficient, but the hedge will become denser if it is cut more often.

The shape you choose for your hedge is up to your creativity. However, you should note that the shape must be wider at the bottom than at the top. The trunk could otherwise bare, which doesn't look nice. Another little tip: if you want a straight line but don't feel comfortable doing it freehand, just stretch a line so you always have a good reference point.

Learn more about hedges