Now is the time to trim evergreen hedges, while they’re at their peak yet while there’s also still time for any new growth which follows to ripen and harden up before the winter frosts set in. A good trim now also makes sure your hedge goes into the end of the season looking in tip-top condition, with crisp, neat edges and a sharp outline just in time for their star role as a handsome architectural framework for your winter garden.
Trim hedges
Evergreen hedges are fantastic for giving you a lush green backdrop to your garden 365 days of the year. As well as marking boundaries, evergreen hedges screen eyesores and muffle sound from a nearby road. Low evergreen box hedges look wonderful edging beds of billowing flowers; and an evergreen yew hedge sets off colourful perennials to perfection. There are dozens of different kinds of evergreen hedge to choose from, so pop into the garden centre here in Lymington and have a chat with one of our knowledgeable staff to find out which is right for you.
Most evergreen hedges need trimming just once a year, in late summer, although fast-growing leylandii hedges benefit from more frequent cuts. Decide how much you want to cut off, aiming to trim to just above the start of this year’s growth. Then begin by snipping off the top growth, with your shears or hedgetrimmers as close to horizontal as possible. It may help to use a cane at each end with a string line stretched taut between them to provide a guide line.
Trim the sides to an A shape, so that the sun can reach right to the base of the hedge, checking your work often by standing back from the hedge. Finish off by raking up the clippings and giving the hedge a good water and a mulch.