How to Prune an Overgrown White Cedar Hedge

White cedar hedges are beautiful, dense evergreen hedges that can grow quickly to almost any height. Their density can help cool your garden or yard and help reduce environmental noise levels. Because they grow quickly, an overgrown white cedar hedge is both unsightly and can reduce the usable space of your yard or crowd a nearby sidewalk or driveway. Prune your hedge back to more acceptable dimensions. With care and the right tool, you can easily turn an overgrown hedge in to a beautifully manicured asset at your home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Electric hedge trimmer (battery or electric)
• Work gloves

1. Find the shortest plant in your hedge in the early spring. This plant will be your reference for a well-pruned white cedar hedge. You will trim the rest of the plants to this height. White cedars should be pruned early in the spring. Try to avoid pruning your white cedar hedge after July, although you can do some light shaping before fall if necessary.

2. Use your hedge trimmer to cut the top of the hedge flat. Don't alter the angle of the trimmer too much as this could result in an uneven or wavy top on your hedge.

3. Trim one side of your hedge. White cedar hedges need to have adequate light on the entire surface, so trim the top a bit smaller than the bottom to create a gentle angle to allow sun to reach all parts of the side. Trim the other side of your hedge the same way.

4. Step back and examine your hedge. If you inadvertently cut the side or top at a strange angle, re-trim the hedge to restore visual balance.

References

• Plantworld.net
• Pruning Made Easy; Lewis Hill; 1997
• Canadagardening.com

Resources

• Lawnlifetips.com
• The-organic-gardener.com