Joe Newland: Hi! I am Joe New, the Product Development Manager for Black & Decker's Outdoor Products division. Today, I am going to talk about the importance of trimming your hedges and shrubs. It's also very important to read the instruction manual thoroughly for all the line and equipment before use and follow all warning and safety instructions.
Trimming your hedges and shrubs is important to maintain the overall health and shape of the plan. Typically, a spring trim will get your hedge back in shape and stimulate new growth. But it really depends on what type of shrub you have in your geographic region. Trimming also helps the individual shrubs to blend with one another.
Determine if you have a slow growing or fast growing hedge. A plant is considered slow growing if new spring growth if five inches or less, evergreen shrubs such as arborvitae and yews are examples of slow growing plants. Some plants will need a late summer touchup on a few shoots to maintain their formal look. But avoid cutting into the old wood in late summer. So the new shoots mature in time for winter.
For fast growers such as hemlock, prune after the spring growth. During so slows growth and leaves neatly shape hedge for the longest period. If the hedge requires a second pruning, do it in late July so that the new growth can mature and hardened before frost.
Prune hedges of the deciduous shrubs in late winter or early spring while they are dormant. Prune again in midsummer to maintain their formal appearance. If the hedges are flowering variety, trim it within one month of when it finishes blooming. This allows time for the hedge to form new blossoms for the next season. How often you trim will openly depends on the type of shrubs you have in the geographic region you live in.
Keep in mind that excessive untrimmed growth will kill the leaves underneath the growth and also pull the hedge out of shape. So it is important to keep up with the maintenance. There are several different hedge shape options and it comes down to personal preference and what your landscaping will allow. There are straight lines, peaks tops, and rounded tops.
Snow will accumulate on broad flat tops. So if you live in an area, that gets a lot of snow, a peaked or a round top would be best. Straight lines require more frequent trimming while round tops require less, because they follow the natural growth tendency of the plant.
The most important thing to keep in mind when trimming your hedges and shrubs is to keep the top slightly narrow than the bottom. So that sunlight can reach all of the leaves on the plant. This will allow the plant to thrive all year long. So, those are some of the basics of hedge and shrub trim.