How to Trim Hedges

Video Transcript

"Hi! This is Yolanda Vanveen and in this segment we're going to talk about how to trim hedges. Now, hedges come in many shapes and sizes. And this arborvitae works really well as a hedge. But you need to trim it from time to time to make it look good because if you just leave it alone and wild, it'll grow just like a medusa. So, the trick with trimming your hedges is never trim more than one third of the hedge down up one time, and the best time to trim is in the middle of winter when they're dormant, and they don't have the new growth. You can also trim in the summer just as the new growth comes out and gets kind of wild just to trim it a little bit to look a little better. And you never want to trim too deep into the plant because if you trim too close to the main branch, all you'll have is branch and no leaf, because most hedges to over the years will become very woody with very little leaves, and if you over trim it, you won't have the hedge anymore, you'll just have dead branches. So, you want to be careful how you trim. So, make sure and use good pruners that are very sharp, and you can always clean them with bleach in between as well, and that helps. By just trimming your hedges every winter, you will find that they will grow well and they won't get a strong, they will grow really well and won't be as leggy and you can enjoy 'em for many years to come."