Greater amounts of shaping on the sides of the hedges may be required at this time. Trim in the morning when the plant leaves are full of moisture; they'll be easier to trim. Use 2 stakes as a guide while you level the shrub. Measure it and set the stakes the same width apart, in effect what you are creating is a rectangular shape which has boxed the hedge in. The other main difference between garden hedges and privacy hedges is that the latter are taller, generally over five feet. Place the stakes in pairs on either side of the hedge at one-yard intervals. Good fences make good neighbors, and so do beautiful hedges. By regularly shaping your hedges, you can ensure the health, growth, and success of your plants. All rights reserved. Hedge trimmers can make trimming easier, especially for shrubs that become overgrown quickly and require frequent upkeep. Shape lightly during the first few months of growth. Lay the string on top at the point to which you want to narrow the hedge depth. Hedges that have recently been planted, such as within the previous two months, require only generalized shaping. % of people told us that this article helped them. Copyright© Keep repeating this motion as you move around the hedge to create an even finish. Cutting a Round Hedge. Feb 27, 2012 - Explore Jan Harris's board "Topiaries & Shaped Hedges", followed by 575 people on Pinterest. The first one she personally ripped out a galley kitchen and opened it up to the living area, plus updated every door, floor covering, and piece of trim in the place. Clip them off where a leaf emerges back on the stem near the... 2. I can't get anytype of scrunbs to grow in it, so I want to make some round shrubs and topiay to put in it. Decide whether one side is fuller than the other and simply make a mental note of each hedge's condition. How to Trim Shrubs With a Hedge Trimmer. suggestions. During the winter, the bronzing is minimal, but once the summer months come along, these medium-sized hedges have a beautiful display. One of the more difficult shapes to clip a topiary is a perfect circle. Measure the desired width and height of the hedge with a tape measure. For Holly and Cotoneaster - prune after fruiting. Shear back the exterior of any boxwood to create a more formal shape in midsummer when new growth is beginning to harden off -- turning from light green to slightly darker. For Yew, Arborvitae, and Heavenly Bamboo - prune in late winter before new growth. As the hedge grows it will get wider as well as taller, so prune it next for depth. Whether it’s a standalone bush or a row of shrubs creating a hedge, shaping is an additional step in the pruning process. This is especially important for hedges which are very long. Traditional Cones and Mounds. As an adult, she has owned two houses. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. She enjoys sharing the hard-earned knowledge that comes with it with the audience of DoItYourself.com. Adding a loose, more natural divider around the space, the taller hedges are softer versions of the more traditional squared hedge. Be patient, and remember to look after your topiary: Water it right after you create your shape; Continue to water it frequently, since topiaries dry out easily due … How do I prune back overgrown juniper bushes without a hedger? To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Her dad worked in the floor covering business and owned local floor covering businesses, so of course selling floor covering was one of her first jobs. Keep the string taut and use it as the height that you'll trim the shrub to. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. These evergreen trees grow to an oval shape and produce a plethora of cones all year. You can cut an existing bush into a ball shape, maintain it in size, and shape it when you make a round topiary frame from wire to use as a guide in pruning. Trimming Square Shrubs or Hedges. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Use manual trimmers to fine tune stray twigs. Step 1: Plan Straight Lines To cut straight lines, you can use your house, siding or other objects as a guide. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent This article has been viewed 27,491 times. Then, tie a string and connect it to the stakes at the marked level. Place the stakes in pairs on either side of the hedge at one-yard intervals. Boxwood Topiaries. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. All information is provided "AS IS." I want 3 of these about 18" diameter. More trimming may be required on a case by case basis. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Tie a piece of light-colored string to each stake, aligning it at the desired height of the hedge. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". Pick up, rake or sweep away all cut leaves, twigs, blossoms and fruit. Measure the desired width and height of the hedge with a tape measure. At the start of the third growing season, repeat the process described above, trimming the hedges to half their starting height. Set them up along the hedges but don't set them too deep into the cover. Then, place some sticks to act as reference points where you want the head or the tail. Consequently, you’ll trim your hedge in Topiary is the art of shaping shrubs, a practice dating back to ancient times, when Romans, Egyptians and Persians clipped hedges into perfect squares. Cut along the level of the string, carefully and neatly, with electric or manual hedge trimmers. Hedges for any purpose should be trimmed in an inverted wedge, with the bottom wider than the top, so sunlight can sustain growth at the base. Tie strings across the top of the stakes so they are level. When it comes to trimming hedges, especially formal hedges, your 20V MAX* Lithium Hedge Trimmer is the perfect tool. Hammer the stakes home and tie the string at each end to your desired height, do the same on the other side of the hedge making sure the strings are level. For Yew, Arborvitae, and Heavenly Bamboo - prune in late winter before new growth. When she is not providing stellar online content for local, national, and international businesses or trolling the internet for organic cotton clothing, you might find her backpacking nearby hills and valleys, traveling to remote parts of the globe, or expanding her vocabulary in a competitive game of Scrabble. Evergreen hedges have a wide range of pruning times. If any are present, put this debris in plastic bags for trash. First, you will want to slowly and carefully form the shrub into a basic geometrical shape. Don't worry about making sure that the tops of the hedges are perfectly aligned at this time, just that they have been adequately trimmed. For Boxwood and Leyland cypress - prune after new leaf growth. Dawn and her sister make up a power-tool loving duo that teaches classes to local women with the goal of empowering them to tackle their fears and become comfortable with power tools. Use a large pair of pruning shears to cut the hedges down to a height of approximately 6 inches (15.24 centimeters). The first step is to cut back excessively long branches. To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. This article has been viewed 27,491 times. Evergreen hedges have a wide range of pruning times. Purchase ample string, at least a 1000-yard spool. If you have overgrown or extremely haggard-looking hedges or shrubs, I recommend cutting out one-third of the woody stems. To trim and shape your bushes and shrubs in a rectangular pattern, grab four lawn stakes and place them around the four corners of the plant. Purchase stakes the desired height of the hedge. The time-consuming work of pruning, done with attention to detail and a good guide, will reward your patience. This can be done simply by using a yardstick or measuring tape. If you want an especially precise measurement, use a level to … If you have an artistic flair, you can snip shrubs freehand into the desired shape. I worked with him often, building decks, painting houses, framing in buildings, etc. We welcome your comments and Use freshly sharpened sheers or trimmers so the leaves are cut rather than torn. Once you’ve shaped out a dome at the top, work down the sides to the bottom where they come together at a main stem. Determine the distance from the base of the hedges to their highest point. The sculptured shape of the rounded hedges in this garden complement the round brick patio the surround. Purchase a pair of stakes that are equal to the height which you want your hedges to be. In the spring following the first year of growth by the hedges, greater amounts of shaping must be done. Next, measure the desired height for your bushes and mark it on all of the stakes. There are various rejuvenation pruning techniques that can be employed to make your hedges fuller. When trimming formal hedges into geometric shapes, it helps to use guidelines, so other hedge tools you will need are stakes and string. Learn more... Hedges are often used to create natural fences, and can add classic appeal to almost any yard. If the cut material appears healthy, place in the compost. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Follow these guidelines. It’s so fitting to surround a garden with something living – this small hedge provides the perfect foreground for the flowers. You may freely link For a rounded cut, you should start around 3 inches from the top of the hedge. Evergreen shrubs come in a variety of shapes and sizes with more cultivars introduced into the market each year. With this piece of equipment, carefully trim the top of the hedge down to the height of the string. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Using a large pair of shears, trim growth that is sticking out from the sides of the hedge. Deciduous shrubs such as lilac, Rose of Sharon, and forsythia make fine garden hedges, but make poor privacy hedges, as they lack foliage for three to four months of the year. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. 1. When trimming the width of a hedge, you may need to move the stakes several times to ensure complete uniformity. Make sure that this process has been completed before the hedges begin blossoming. Precise, dense hedges frame your garden and yard elegantly, protect your privacy, and add value to your property when you want to sell. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 27,491 times. Purchase stakes the desired height of the hedge. Determine if the shrubs are shorter in one spot on top or fairly even. Plus she and her family preserved foods, raised cattle and pigs, chopped and hauled firewood, and performed regular maintenance on two households, outbuildings, fencing, etc. Spring is a good time to trim because the growing season is ahead. Check for. Follow these guidelines. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Oct 11, 2017 - Tour amazing topiary gardens and get ideas for creating your own garden art with inspiration from botanical gardens around the U.S. Repeat the process above which describes how to trim the hedges along their length. View our Privacy Policy here. For getting the bush in the precisely rounded shape you desire, I suggest using either handheld pruning shears. This dense hedge stays a golden color year-round and does not require pruning. Focus most of your attention to especially deviant branches and leaves, being carefully to avoid performing excessive amounts of trimming. Not quite homesteaders, she did grow up with a farm, tractors, motorcycles, expansive gardens, hay fields, barns, and lots of repairs to do. Boxwood, a popular landscaping foundation plant that grows well in middle Tennessee, is a good example. (I wonder if a smaller sphere here would help the flowers stand out more.) Tie a string around both stakes, making sure that it is even with the top of the hedge. As the foliage used in hedges typically does not grow in perfectly designed patterns, high amounts of grooming and pruning is required to maintain the look of these plants. Push the stakes into the ground on either side of the length of the hedge. Remove intervening stakes from the guideline matrix so you can put them at the start and end of a section to be thinned. To maintain straight lines while trimming a hedge, you will need erect guide lines as a reference point. Hedges that have recently been planted, such as within the previous two months, require only generalized shaping. Website operating Justin Stewart is a contributing writer to DoItYourself.com. Examine the hedges you want to trim. How to Shape Hedges Step 1 - Create a Guideline Matrix for the Width and Height. Use a large pair of pruning shears to cut the hedges down to a height of approximately 6 inches (15.24 centimeters). Historical inspiration was drawn from gardens in the United Kingdom's National … How to Shape Forsythia 1. Dawn holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, which these days she mostly uses to provide therapy for her kids and spouse. Some pros use stakes and strings as guides when landscaping shrubs. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/4a\/Shape-Hedges-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Shape-Hedges-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4a\/Shape-Hedges-Step-1.jpg\/aid1378741-v4-728px-Shape-Hedges-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"