If you’re planning to get your garden ready for summer, you’ll need to bear in mind one pretty important factor when trimming your hedges. According to the Met Office, you should always check hedges for bird nests before trimming them. Birds could have found a home in your hedge so it’s important to garden with care.
They could also be found in other areas of your garden such as shrubs or trees so don’t forget to take extra care. The Met Office says: “Disturbing them is not only disruptive but also illegal. Providing a shallow dish of water can also help thirsty fledglings during dry spells.”
According to RHS, there are actions you can take to make sure you’re trimming your hedge properly this May.
You should always aim to keep on top of trimming it to ensure it doesn’t get too out of hand.
Regularly trimming a hedge controls its size and keeps the growth dense, providing a wildlife friendly boundary to your garden.
Firstly, you should assess your hedge by checking all sides of it to see where growth rates differ.
Next, you should prepare to trim by removing any obstacles under or around the hedge before getting ready to shape it.
If you are using a corded electric hedge trimmer, make sure it is plugged into a residual current device (RCD) before you start trimming.
Work upwards by trimming the sides first, starting at the bottom.
Don’t allow hedges to become wider at the top than they are at the base, as this will prevent light reaching lower sections, causing poor growth and bare patches.
You should stand back to get some distance from the hedge and ensure it’s taking the shape you want before continuing.
By regularly assessing what it looks like during the process, you won’t make any mistakes or trim your hedge into a shape you don’t like.
Finally, rake away the trimmings and you’ll be able to see your freshly trimmed hedge ready for summer.