How to Reduce the Height of Large Shrubs and Hedges Safely

One area of hedge care that many can be forgiven for overlooking is the annual or biannual top prune and trim. It can be a daunting task at first, and some common questions you'll be asking yourself are - 'Where should I start?' 'What weather is best to trim hedges in?' and 'How much can I trim in one go?' 

To help answer these questions, we reached out to Answerth & Sons, a business that specialises in hedging and has been around for 80+ years. We're thrilled to share the thoughts of Answerth & Sons on the products we recently gifted them. We spoke with Steve Answerth, asking for his tips as a professional with over 27 years of experience running the company and here are some of his top tips & tricks.

Planting and trimming hedges

While most people want a hedge that grows in quickly and provides maximum privacy in minimum time, it’s not always the best idea. The faster a hedge grows, the more time you’ll need to set aside to maintain it. Steve says 'If you are planting, I would highly recommend a slow-growing hedge, as they will be a lot less on maintenance and make upkeep to be so much more manageable.'

Some of the best slow-growing shrubs to use for hedging include:

• Bottlebrush (Callistemon)
• Box (Buxus)
• Holly (Ilex)
• Hornbeam (Carpinus)
• Lilly Pilly
• Mexican Orange (Choisya ternata)
• Mock Orange (Pittosporum)
• Orange Jasmine (Murraya paniculata)
• Viburnum 

Most slow-growing hedges will only need one good trim per year. But what about faster-growing hedges such as Fiji Fire, Photinia Robusta and Privet? According to Steve, 'When it comes to fast-growing hedges, you really want to trim a minimum of 2x a year - but you need to cut it hard because if you don't, you will find that in several years, the hedge will start to encroach past where you want it to be.'

Fast-growing hedges typically require bi-annual or tri-annual trims, with a hard trim in the winter, a shaping trim in late spring and a maintenance trim in the summer. Slow-growing hedges will usually only need to be trimmed back and reshaped once or twice a year.

Use an appropriate standard or long reach hedge trimmer

Having access to a decent standard or long reach hedge trimmer, also known as a pole hedge trimmer makes all the difference between a healthy hedge and an unhealthy one. According to Steve, 'Sharp equipment is the best way to make sure you aren't causing too much damage and to help with healthy grow back.' This means using tools that have sharp knives that slice rather than tear. Using a hedge trimmer that is the right size will also help with achieving the cleanest and neatest cuts possible.

Hand-held Hedge Trimmer vs. Pole Hedge Trimmer

A hand-held hedge trimmer is best suited for hedges that don’t exceed shoulder height. These typically feature a top handle, a knife length of between 30 and 60cm, with the knife attached directly to the body of the machine such as the 215IHD45 and the 122HD45. Some of the benefits of a hand-held hedge trimmer include:

• Compact and lightweight design.
• Easy to manoeuvre.
• Perfect for short and narrow hedges.
• Easy to clean and store.
• Petrol and battery options.

Pole or long-reach hedge trimmers are the perfect option for those who need to take care of tall and wide hedges. With the ability to switch out accessories and extend or retract the hedge trimmer to the size needed, it removes the need for ladders, scaffolding and awkward angles to get the job done. A few good examples are the 120iTK4-H and the 520iHE3. Some of the main benefits of a pole hedge trimmer include:

• Reach of up to 4m up and across.
• Multiple accessory options.
• Removes the need for ladders.
• Can cut through thicker branches and growth.

How to reduce the height of a hedge

Reducing the height of a tall hedge can be tricky the first time you try. However, with a few simple pointers from Steve, you’ll be well on your way to neat, symmetrical and healthy hedges. As we are talking about tall hedges, we’ll focus on trimming with a long reach hedge trimmer.

1. Start by extending the telescopic pole to approximately 10cm beneath the top of the hedge for a general trim or 20-30cm for a more intense cut-back.
2. For a neat and clean-cut, position the cutting knife at a 90-degree angle.
3. Work from one end of the hedge to the other, then move to the rear of the hedge and repeat. A 60cm knife will cut up to 1.2m across the top.
4. Now adjust the pole so the knife is 15-30cm off the ground and work from one side to the other to create a tidy base.
5. Next reposition the pole to be level with the top of the hedge and position the trimmer knife at approximately 10 degrees (assuming you are standing 0.5m from the hedge).
6. Start at one end of the hedge and sweep down from top to bottom using a curved motion (similar to a banana shape), then do the other side.

Top trimming tips

Whether using a hand-held hedge trimmer or a long reach hedge trimmer, Steve shares a few of his top tips for trimming tall shrubs and hedges.

• When reducing hedges by a significant amount, be sure to check where thicker branches are and make a note of them. Accidentally trying to cut through them could damage your trimmer knife.
• For shorter hedges that are no more than eye height, attach a piece of string at one end of the hedge and run it along to the other end to create a guideline to follow. This will give a super crisp top and edges.
• Use a pole hedge trimmer for hedges taller than your eye line instead of perching precariously on a ladder with a hand-held one.

Hedge trimming made simple

With a fantastic range of pole and hand-held hedge trimmers, we make hedge trimming safer and simpler for homeowners and green space professionals. Choose between battery and petrol models with a variety of knife lengths, power outputs and safety features included.

Still not quite sure which hedge trimmer is best for you? Drop into your local authorised dealer or browse, compare and buy online.