Hedge Cutting

Hedge Cutting

Hedges surround your property in a natural and aesthetic way?
But some of us have a negative view of this way of separating the space since it requires maintenance ...

Do not be afraid, France Shelters gives you all the keys to effectively trim your hedge !

A hedge is a particular ecosystem of trees and shrubs used to delineate a territory.

There are different kinds of hedges. There are especially cut hedges creating a real vegetable fence to protect from wind and prying eyes, and free hedges , rather decorative that delimit only a field, composed of trees or shrubs in their raw state.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO PRUNE A HEDGE?

There are the size of formation and maintenance pruning .

The formation size is that to accompany the hedge in its development , during the first 3 years. It is pruned from the plantation, then the autumn of the following year, and finally twice a year as for a maintenance size.

The deciduous hedges grow throughout the year but more strongly in late spring and late summer.
We advise you to prune them twice a year, in April and in October.
For a regular hedge , we advise you to prune also at the end of July to maintain its graphic aesthetics.

Attention : for flowering hedges, it is necessary to wait until the end of flowering , that is to say the end of the spring, so that the flowers repel the following year!

The conifers are about to be pruned them in June and September. After September, the cuts would heal badly ...

These tips relate to the times when it is necessary to trim the hedges, but you can of course do it more regularly.

WHAT TO CUT WITH A HEDGE?
An object is essential for every size: the gloves . Always put on a pair to avoid cuts. For safety, you can also use a helmet and goggles.

If you have to prune big branches , you will need a tree pruner or secateurs .

Then, as there are multiple varieties of hedges , each can be cut with different tools :

Small hedges: a shears
Long or tall hedgerows: a Hedge Trimming + a scaffold rather than a ladder, which needs to be moved all the time. You can use an electric hedgehog, battery or telescopic hedge for more comfort.
Free hedges: a pruner  or a slicer
Regular hedges: a wire + stakes + a spirit level + shears
Use the tools with your arms close to your body , because reaching out will make you tired and you will be less precise.

HOW TO CUT?

SOME GENERALITIES:

Start your size by the lower part , determining its thickness.

If you start at the top, the falling branches will be hampered by the lower branches and will not fall to the ground.
In addition, this will allow you to refine the hedge by going up.

Indeed, we must not let the hedge extend too wide: the thicker it gets, the more difficult it is to cut it.

The base of the hedge must be a little wider than the top, so that light and rain penetrate deeply: this is called "giving fruit" to the hedge.

THE SPECIFICITIES :
The size of training and maintenance
The year of planting the hedge, the plants are pruned so that they reach only 20 to 30cm in height. The second year , you can cut the hedge from 60 to 80cm high. The next year , it is sized for what reaches 100 to 120cm high.

Then, it will be able to reach 240 to 260cm: you will be able to pass to the size of maintenance. You can cut up to 30cm in height if your h

he is already an adult .

Free Hedge Cutting
Cut off the dead , fragile and older branches of wood .

Warning: do not make holes! Take a step back from your hedge to judge.

The regular hedges

Tie your wire between two stakes pegs to determine the desired height for your hedge. Use a spirit level to check that your thread is parallel to the ground to cut straight.

You can then cut the top of your hedge by sliding the shears along the wire.

Our advices
If you live in an area where it often snows , trim the top of your rounded hedge so that the snow can slide more easily over the branches and fall to the ground, so as not to break or weaken them by its weight.