How to Make Hedge Trimming Easier
Trimming your hedges regularly will keep them looking full and attractive.
You Will Need
- A hand trimmer
- An electric or gas trimmer
- A drop cloth
- Bamboo stakes
- String
- Lopping shears
- A step stool (optional)
Steps
-
Do not use electric trimmers in wet conditions. Blades and electricity can both be very dangerous.
-
Step 1
Use the proper tools
Use a small hand trimmer if you are doing only minor manicuring. For larger jobs, use an electric or gas trimmer.
-
Step 2
Lay down a drop cloth
Spread a drop cloth around the base of the hedge to catch falling debris.
-
Step 3
Visualize shape
Stand at a distance from the hedge and visualize the shape you want to construct.
-
If you can't reach or see the top your hedge, use a step stool rather than stretching and straining.
-
Step 4
Mark guide lines
For flat tops, put bamboo stakes at either end of the hedge and attach string between them. Use the string as a guide for level trimming.
-
Round designs are easier to maintain than square ones. New growth is less noticeable on round tops and snow falls off round tops, too.
-
Step 5
Remove branches
Remove branches in your cutting path that are too large for your trimmer to handle. Use lopping shears for branches more than ¼-inch in diameter.
-
Step 6
Trim
Run your trimmer along the lines you visualized, moving your body to avoid overreaching at any point.
-
Don't cut too deeply or your plants will look dead. Leave a thick layer of greenery beneath your cuts.
-
Step 7
Visualize again
Step back periodically to make sure you're cutting along the edges of your visualized shape. Make a final sweep to smooth out any rough spots.
-
Step 8
Clean up
Brush the cut pieces off the shrubbery. Fold up the edges of your drop cloth for easy disposal or composting, and put away your equipment.
-
The Timberline Lodge, used as the Overlook Hotel in the film The Shining, does not actually have a hedge maze on its grounds.
