An evergreen shrub, the cedar has long been the darling of gardeners who want to create dense, durable hedges. Its rapid growth requires regular pruning and precise gestures. Let's see how to proceed.
When to prune a cedar hedge?
Cedar should be pruned in early spring and again in August to keep your hedge looking nice and even.
How to prune a cedar hedge ?
The goal is to limit the height and thickness of the hedge while maintaining a regular growth so that the trees do not 'fall' from the base. To do this, the base should be wider than the top, which will also help light and rain penetration. If this type of pruning is not practiced, the top will be fuller than the base and your hedge will lose all its ornamental aspect.
In regions where snow falls in abundance, do not hesitate to round off the top of the hedge a little, to prevent the weight of the snow from destroying your cedars. This way it will slide to the ground without damaging them.
Materials needed:
- Stakes and a string;
- A shear or a hedge trimmer;
- A lopper.
How do I do it?
- Stake the hedge on either side and attach a string to the desired cutting height. In general, the line should be placed about 30 cm below the top of the hedge if it is a simple maintenance cut.
- Start by trimming the bottom of the hedge, keeping the blade parallel to it. Remember that the base should be thicker than the top. Go back up by trimming slightly shorter and stop at the level of the chalk line, no need to go higher since this part will be removed. The movement must be smooth and regular. If a branch larger than the others has to be cut, use the lopper.
- Don't hesitate to take a step back to see if you are satisfied with your work.
- Once the first side of the hedge is trimmed, proceed to the second side in the same manner.
- Then set up your ladder in a secure manner to work safely.
- Keep your shears or hedge trimmer level and parallel to the line to ensure a flat, even top.
- Before moving the ladder, take advantage of being at the bottom to check the quality of your work and rectify it if necessary.
- Proceed in this way throughout the hedge.
