Hedge Trimming

The price of hedge trimming varies based on a number of factors. We have a whole hedge trimming price guide to answer your questions about costs.

All hedges are different and there are many different reasons to prune or trim a hedge or shrub!

Damaged Hedge or Shrub Repair:

Trim or prune immediately to avoid worsening damage. If branches are damaged by wind, snow or storms get your hedge assessed right away no matter the time of year.

Hedge Maintenance Trimming or Hedge "Haircut":

Light trimming of hedges to keep them neat and tidy should be done during the spring and early summer. This includes hedging the face of the plant, and its tops and sides but doesn't include significant changes to the height or spread. Large changes to size or shape should be done when the hedge is dormant.

Hedge and shrub Shaping:

Shaping requires taking off a more significant amount of material than hedge maintenance, so it should be preformed when the hedge is dormant. This should generally be done in late winter or early spring before "bud out". Pruning in the summer is possible but should be done carefully to avoid sun scorch and other problems. 

Reduce Height of Hedges: 

Heigh reductions for hedges should be done when the plant is dormant, from late fall to early spring. Reducing height during the summer is possible but should be done carefully.

Different hedges and shrubs grow at different rates and are more or less sensitive to pruning. It also depends on how neat you expect your hedges to be, the level of sunlight, water and soil. 

Generally speaking you should lightly prune boxwoods, cedars, beeches and hornbeams 1-2 max per year as they are more sensitive to pruning. If you're making more significant changes to shape, size or spread, wait until the next year to have them tidied up further to avoid damage. Yews can be safely trimmed back twice per year.

Hedges that grow out of invasive species such as Chinese elm, Siberian elm, buckthorn and others can be trimmed back between 2-4 times per year depending on their rate of growth. 

Hedges grow towards sunlight, meaning the top of the hedge has more access to sunlight than the bottom. Professional hedge trimmers understand how to cut hedges properly to maximize sunlight. This ensures light reaches as far down as possible without losing the ideal shape.

Hedges that are not properly trimmed like this will develop holes, patchy areas and look less full and green. They will also tend to grow wider at the top, making them vulnerable to damage from snow and wind.

Even with adequate sunlight, when hedges are not pruned often enough they will experience interior die back. This means that the inside of the plant has only wood, no leaves. When this happens, trimming will result in large bare patches that will not regrow leaves. Correcting this issue takes years, during which the hedge will have to regrow and be pruned repeatedly.

When hedges aren't pruned properly or often enough, it can take years to repair them. During this time, the hedge will look less full and healthy. If a problem is left for too long, sometimes the hedges cannot be fixed and must be replaced. Aside from the cost, planting takes time and there is no guarantee new trees will thrive in difficult urban soils.

We're passionate about your trees, and have extensive experience in damaged hedge repair. Damaged hedges should be repaired as quickly as possible to ensure they survive, and to keep your home looking beautiful. Hedges and shrubs can be damaged by heavy snows and ice, wind, other trees - even the soil they grow in! We don't have an article about this yet, but soon we'll cover how to do your own hedge repair after storm damage. Hedge repair is not dissimilar from tree pruning, as hedges are trees or woody plants. We have an article about DIY tree pruning that may offer some insight.

Hedges and shrubs can create softer lines in a garden full of hardscaping, or many different sized trees and plants. They also help delineate one area of your property from another, can act as a natural fence and improve privacy. Hedges and shrubs absorb sound, filter pollution, reduce ambient temperatures near your home and leave your property looking lush and green.

When taken care of, hedges, shrubs and ornamental trees offer immense value to your home. Not only do they benefit you on a day to day basis, they can also improve your property resale value. It is estimated that trees and other greenery like hedges can improve property value 5-15%. The better cared for, the higher that number is likely to be.

On the other hand, hedges and shrubs that are poorly maintained can result in significant costs and loss of value. When hedges provide privacy to your home, poor maintenance practices and other problems can cause them to grow improperly or die. Hedges that are "topped", too aggressively trimmed or not trimmed often enough will develop serious health problems.

If your hedges develop health problems or serious damage, they may need to be replaced. Replacing hedges (especially tall or large hedges) costs quite a lot of money. If they don't get replaced, you may lose the function they play in your environment. For example, you might lose your privacy, or the way a hedge fence between you and your neighbour.

Hedges can be a huge asset, like a green investment, but you have to maintain them to keep their value otherwise they can become costly.

From spider mites in your cedar, to the terrible Boxwood moth, there are many different pests and diseases that hedges can get. Some of these are deadly to the tree, like cedar root rot, while others can impact their appearance - like wooly aphids on a beech hedge. The best step you can take is to have it properly identified by a tree care expert ASAP! Identifying pests and diseases is the first step towards treating them. Vista Tree Management is staffed by Certified Arborists with Ontario Pesticide Licenses. 

Certified Arborists can be masters of hedges, either in their tree or shrub form. We have a great roundup of the best arborist companies in Toronto and hyper local arborist companies in Toronto, all of which offer hedge trimming as a service.

We want to share as much knowledge as we can. Right now, we have an article on the Top 10 myths about hedges, and soon we'll be adding more information on how you can prune or trim your hedges yourself.