What You Will Need:
1. Hedge Shears
2. Hand Prunners
3. Tarp
4. Lawn Rake
Determining the Habit of Your Hedge:
When pruning a hedge, you must first determine if your hedge contains
dormant buds. After determining this, it is important to prune evergreens
only into the soft, new wood. However, deciduous trees do not shed
their leaves in the autumn months and therefore can tolerate pruning
into old wood.
Accumulating Your Tools:
When pruning small hedges, the most effective tool is manual hedge
shears. Electric shears are ideal for pruning large hedges. Use
a tarp to collect trimmings or a rake to clean up afterwards.
Pruning At Planting Time:
When planting a new shrub, be sure to prune hearty shrubs such as
privet by lessening the length of the branches and shrub height
by one-fourth to one-third.
Establishing Shape of the Hedge:
In order for a hedge to adequately grow, plenty of sunlight is needed.
Prune the sides as it grows so that the bottom is a bit wider than
the top in order to prevent the upper branches from shading the
lower ones. In a climate where it snows, give hedges a rounded or
sloped shape to help them shed the snow more easily.
Tip for Growing Your Hedge:
Do not allow hearty shrubs to grow their final size before pruning
them. In order to form a dense hedge; prune them as they grow. It
may take years to reach an adequate size, but the results will be
worth it.
