Hedge Trimming Wellington

Fast growing formal hedges such as griselinia and pittosporum look best trimmed twice a year, once in late spring after the first flush of growth and again in early autumn so they go into winter tidy. Slower species such as buxus, corokia and totara are usually fine with one cut a year. Hedges that have to stay clear of a footpath, a driveway sightline or a neighbour's boundary may need more frequent attention.

Avoid hard cutting during frost, in a dry spell or in the middle of nesting season. In spring we check a hedge for active nests before we start. Wellington's wind is another reason to keep a hedge dense rather than letting it grow leggy and then cutting it back hard.

Related reading: practical advice on hedge trimming timing and shaping, and the benefits of regular hedge trimming.

Overgrown and neglected hedges

A hedge that has got away over several years cannot always be brought back in one cut. Griselinia, pittosporum, photinia, taupata and most other broadleaf hedges will regrow from bare wood, so they can be cut back hard, though it is kinder to do the sides in one season and the top in the next. Conifer hedges are the exception: cut into bare wood and most will not regrow, leaving a brown hole that never fills. For a conifer hedge that has grown too tall, the honest options are a modest reduction that stays within the green growth, or removal and replanting. We will tell you which applies before we start.

Height reduction and boundary hedges

Bringing a tall hedge down to a manageable height is one of the most common jobs we do. The aim is a height you or we can maintain in future, a level top, and enough green left on the hedge that it recovers quickly. Hedges on a boundary or beside a footpath need a bit of thought: growth over the footpath or across a driveway sightline is a hazard, and a neighbour may have views on how much comes off their side. Talk to them first and we will work to what has been agreed.

What affects the price

Length, height and access are the main factors, followed by how much growth has to come off and how much material has to be removed. A long, tall hedge on a sloping Wellington section with no vehicle access takes far longer than the same hedge beside a flat driveway. A formal finish with razor level lines takes longer than a tidy informal trim. We quote after seeing the hedge, and the quote includes removing all the clippings.

Clean-up and clippings

Hedge trimming produces a surprising volume of material, especially from a hedge that has not been cut for a while. We rake clippings off the top of the hedge, out of the garden beds and off lawns and paths, then chip and remove them. If you want the chip for mulch we will leave it where you ask.