If you’re worried about your hedge looking scraggly and unkempt, as many tend to become, then learning how to properly maintain your hedge is a must. Giving your hedges a regular dose of fertiliser and frequent watering is always recommended, but when it comes to pruning many hedge owners get stuck. We’ve compiled some important tips to help you properly maintain your hedges.
Hand-pruning
Using hand pruners with shears is recommended because the hand pruners can create space in the hedge that allows air and light to seep in. While using shears is important to cut off branch tips and keep hedges looking tidy and neat, proper hand pruning will allow for sunlight to make its way in and allows you to cut away shrubs that get too large. If buds multiply to the point where a shrub is so thick that the sunlight cannot penetrate, this will prevent growth on the inside. The result will be a hedge that grows year by year but looks perished on the inside. So get hand-pruning to properly maintain your hedge!
Winter
Hedges should be ideally pruned in later winter, when plants tend to be dormant and have not yet produced buds, especially if you are looking to drastically cut-back on growth. You do not want the plant to break its bud before pruning because you ideally want the energy of the plant to go towards stimulating new growth wherever you want it. By taking off the buds of a plant, you cut off spent energy, and the hedge will take longer to fill out.
Wide base
If left unattended to, many hedges will begin to widen somewhere around the top, where the most sunlight is received. The resulting V shape can shade out the lower branches so that they start to gradually produce less overall foliage. You want the reverse of this; a properly pruned hedge should be wider at the base and narrow towards the top. You can achieve this by shearing from the bottom up, carefully working towards the top.
If you want to achieve incredibly precise cutting, you could always run a line of string between wooden stakes to ensure a truly even line at the very top. But if you want to achieve a more natural look, rely on your eyes.
Give enough room
Before planting your hedge or choosing an instant hedge, make sure you take into account the room that will be required once it’s there. Figure out how wide and high you want your hedge to be before considering your options. This could drastically affect the way that you go about pruning. If you choose a selection that outgrows the space you have sectioned off then you’re going to be constantly pruning.
At Readyhedge we have a variety of options available so that you don’t have to worry about this. Should you need a helping hand, we can step in to make sure you pick the option that’s right for you and your garden. From the trough, Readybag, to panels and screens range, we have you covered for any and every space you desire!
Readyhedge are a responsible and ethical nursery, situated in the south of Worcestershire. We specialise in growing instant hedging in metre-long lengths, available in either Readyhedge bags or Readyhedge troughs. The heights of our hedges range from 30cm tall up to 200cm tall.
If you want more information about who we are, what we do and how we can help you grow the most beautiful of hedges, then take a look at our website www.readyhedgeltd.com or give us a call on 01386 750 585 for any advice you may need – we’d be happy to help!