Autumn gardening - Hedges

Autumn is hedge clipping time. As a rule of thumb, while evergreen hedges need to be trimmed two or even three times a year, an informal hedge will want to be pruned after its flower, apart from lavender, fuchsia, roses and other plants which actually flower on the current year's wood as they are best pruned in early to mid-spring to give summer colour. All the others, which flower on old wood, such as forsythia, deutzia and berberis, should be pruned when the blooms fade. Most of us have small hedges or individual specimen bushes and can get away with using hand shears or even clippers for those tasks, but if you have what is called a lining hedge (something that makes or grows along a boundary - along a path, a drive, a stream etc) it will be a lot easier to use electric or battery hedge trimmers. For really long hedges a petrol powered trimmer is the best option. If you use electric trimmers, keep the cable away from the blade, ideally draped over one shoulder rather than trailing on the ground.

Formal hedge

Begin by pruning the top flat. If the hedge is not too long, you should be able to judge this by eye, stepping back to check your progress but if you don't trust yourself or if you have a long or winding hedge, you can always hammer two stakes into the ground and stretch a length of string between them to use as a cutting guide. Now cut the sides, working from the top to the bottom, always making the top narrower than the base or the top will shadow the base and the lower levels will become straggly and brown. Brush away all the trimmings to prevent pests and diseases.

Informal Hedge

While informal hedges are usually allowed to grow naturally, don't assume you won't have to prune them because they may grow too tall or spread beyond the boundaries you wish and you will have to keep them in shape from top to bottom or they too will become leggy and leafless in the lower regions. They are easier than a formal hedge though because all you need to do is remove old stems with secateurs or cut branches back to reshape the bush.

Autumn hedge photograph by rick, used under a creative commons attribution licence