There's something about a freshly trimmed hedge. Crisp lines, the smell of cut leaves, and the whole garden suddenly looking like someone has their life together. Then six weeks later it's sprouting everywhere again.
If you've ever stood at the end of the driveway wondering whether your hedge needs another trim, or whether you've left it too long, you're in the right place. We've been looking after hedges, trees and shelterbelts across Christchurch and Canterbury since 1996, and we've seen firsthand how much timing matters. A well-timed trim gives you a thick, healthy hedge. A badly timed one is how you end up with a patchy hedge that's bare at the bottom.
Most Christchurch hedges need a trim two or three times a year. For formal hedges like griselinia, pittosporum, photinia and buxus, we'd do a light trim in late spring once the first burst of growth slows down, another in mid to late summer, and a tidy-up in early autumn if it needs it. Flowering hedges are easier. One trim a year, right after they finish flowering, is usually plenty. Just avoid hard trims in late autumn and winter, because the frost will get any new growth.
Every hedge is a bit different though, so here's the detail.
A hedge is really just a row of shrubs we've asked to act like a wall. Every time you trim the tips, the plant responds by pushing out new shoots further back. Do that little and often, and you get a hedge that's dense from the inside out.
Leave it too long between trims and the opposite happens. The plant puts its energy into the top and the outside, the inside gets shaded out, and the lower branches start to thin. Before long you can see straight through it.
There's a Canterbury reason too. When the nor'westers come howling through, a thick, even hedge slows the wind down. A top-heavy, overgrown one just gets battered.
This is the most common hedge mistake we see. Most people trim their hedge with perfectly straight sides, or let the top get wider than the bottom. The top then shades out the lower branches, and slowly the base goes thin and bare.
Luckily, it's an easy fix. Shape your hedge so it's slightly wider at the bottom than at the top, a gentle taper rather than a straight wall. That way, sunlight reaches every part of the hedge and it stays full from top to bottom.
A few other things we've learnt on the job:
Don't panic, and whatever you do, don't hack it all off in one go. An overgrown hedge can almost always be brought back, it just takes a bit of patience.
The best approach is to renovate it over two or three seasons. Cut back one side hard this year, let it recover, then do the other side next year. Once both sides have filled in, bring the height down. Spreading the work out means the hedge always has enough leaves to keep feeding itself.
Some hedges cope with this really well. Griselinia, for example, bounces back from a hard cut. Others, like macrocarpa and most conifers, won't regrow from bare wood, so a hard cut can leave permanent gaps. If you're not sure which you have, it's worth asking before you start.
Sometimes a hedge is just past saving. A good arborist will tell you when trimming isn't the best option, and suggest something better.
"We had Treetech come to reduce the size of a hedge in Halswell Christchurch. The team were wonderful. The young lady suggested that we just leave 3 trees which removed the hedge completely. I think it was the best decision and we are so happy with the job. This is not the first time we have used Treetech and we have always been impressed with their job, and they always clean up so it looks like they have never been."
Anne B., Halswell (5-star Google review)
Out on rural Canterbury properties, hedges become shelterbelts, and they work hard. They protect stock, crops and homes from those famous nor'westers, and they can stretch for hundreds of metres.
Like any hedge, shelterbelts need regular trimming to stay dense and effective. Left too long, they grow tall and thin at the base, letting the wind straight through and becoming harder and more expensive to bring back. Our team has the gear and experience to trim long shelterbelts quickly and safely, from lifestyle blocks in Selwyn to farms right across the region.
A low hedge you can reach from the ground is a satisfying weekend job, and we'd encourage anyone to give it a go.
It's time to call in the professionals when:
Our team is trained to international standards and brings the right gear for every job, big or small. And we always clean up after ourselves.
Most formal hedges should be trimmed two to three times a year, from late spring to early autumn. Flowering hedges usually only need one trim a year, straight after they finish flowering.
For most hedges, aim for a first trim in late November or December once spring growth slows, then a second trim in February or early March. Avoid hard trims from late autumn through winter.
It depends on the plant. Griselinia and many broadleaf hedges recover well from a hard cut, especially when it's done in stages. Macrocarpa and most conifers won't regrow from old brown wood, so they should only ever be trimmed lightly.
Usually because the top has grown wider than the base and is shading out the lower branches. Trimming the hedge into a gentle taper, slightly wider at the bottom than the top, lets light reach the whole hedge so it fills back in.
A light tidy is fine, but most hedges barely grow in winter so there's little need. Avoid hard trims in late autumn and early winter, as any new growth they trigger can be damaged by frost.
It depends on the length and height of the hedge, how easy it is to access and whether the clippings need to be taken away. The best way to get an accurate price is a free, no-obligation quote.
A good hedge does a lot for a property. It gives you privacy, shelters the garden from the wind and frames everything around it. A little regular care keeps it doing that for years.
If your hedge is getting away on you, or you'd just rather leave it to people who do this every day, give the team a ring on 0800 873 378, we're always happy to talk trees and hedges. You can also request a free quote online.
