Every spring, our hedges begin to sprout leaves like clockwork. And as our hedge lines grow it’s time to pull out the trimmers for a clean-cut and healthy trimming. Here at Lumber Jack and Jill’s, we find that folks often have questions about their hedges, especially this time of year. Today, we’re going to address all of those questions. From When should I trim my hedges? to How much can I trim in a given season? we’ve addressed all the questions that you may have about hedge trimming this growing season. And as always, you can count on us to shape your hedges to make the most of your landscape — Lumber Jack and Jill provide hedge trimming services for folks in Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Wellington, and throughout much of Northern Colorado.
When should I have my hedges trimmed?
It depends. And before we dive into the true answer to that question, let’s point out that there are two different ways to trim hedges: First, you can trim the branches of your hedges to transform the structure and shape of the hedge. Second, you can simply trim the edges of the hedge and its protruding branches, simply shaping the hedge to make it aesthetically pleasing. Shaping the outermost portion of the hedge can be performed at any time throughout the growing season (though it’s recommended that you perform your final trimming in the fall, as the plant begins to go dormant).
Meanwhile, cutting major branches should be performed in winter or spring, which will give the hedge time to recover as it progresses through the growing cycle. Trimming the branches of your hedges at the right time will improve their overall health while boosting their rate of new growth throughout the growing season.
WHY TRIM?
Most folks simply trim their hedges to keep things looking their best throughout their landscape, but did you know that trimmed hedges grow healthier after a proper trimming? Below is a list of reasons why you should consider trimming your hedges throughout the growing season.
Trim for aesthetic: Impress your neighbors, improve your home’s curb appeal, and make the most of your property by shaping your hedges as you’d like. We have experience trimming a number of species here in Northern Colorado, and we can trim to improve the aesthetic of your hedges, without damaging the plant itself.
Improve overall hedge health: Unfortunately, shrubs, bushes, and other plants often overgrow, leaving fewer nutrients, and less water and sunlight for the whole plant. That means that certain branches may wither, while others grow strong. Trimming the branches of your hedges will help to give the remainder of the plant all of the ingredients necessary for a healthy life. Cutting back branches will also improve the amount of new growth that you see, which means that your shrubs will look full and healthy.
Property lines and obstructions: If you have hedges that are approaching the property line, or if you have plants that are growing out of control, trimming will work wonders to keep your plants in check. Just be wary that we can’t cut hedges that are on your neighbor’s property unless they extend over your property line (people do ask!).
Continual improvement of the hedge: Like any long-lasting plant on your property, your hedges will require regular maintenance throughout their lifetimes. Just as you should trim your trees year after year, you should trim your hedges to shape how they grow while improving the health of the plant.
HOW MUCH CAN I TRIM IN A SEASON?
For most hedge species that thrive here in Colorado, you can cut off up to one-third of the branches of a hedge in a given growing season. Cutting any more than a third of the branches may end up damaging or killing the plant. However, cutting less than a third of the branches will improve the health of the plant, as we mentioned above.
Do you provide clean-ups?
Of course! When you call on us to trim the hedges and shape bushes around your property, we want to ensure that you’re satisfied with the look of your landscape as we finish up. That means that we’ll clear away any branches and foliage that we lop off. You’ll love how your property looks with a bit of care from the tree care specialists here at Lumber Jack and Jill.
FOR PERFECT HEDGES, TRUST JACK & JILL
Whether you need to lop off a few branches to help out your hedges or you’re ready to make a major improvement to the beauty of your property by reshaping rows and rows of hedges, you can always count on the crew here at Lumber Jack and Jill. Give us a call to schedule an appointment for your hedge trimming project. Again, we provide hedge trimming and tree care services for folks in Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Wellington, and throughout Northern Colorado.