Well, i've got about 500' of 5' hedge to trim this week.

Has anyone got experience hedge trimming? I've never done it before, although i have done a lot of reading on the subject over the last couple of weeks.

Going to rent a gas trimmer later today, and i've got stakes and string to set up guide lines, but that's about it.

Am I missing anything major here?

tia.

 

I'm with you. I've never done it either, however, this fall I have a bunch of bushes to trim and shape (to create a hedge).

I've never done it either, but I'm borrowing my neighbors electric hedger and just going for it. Our landscaper (who I should probably hire to do the bushes) told us to wait until fall/winter so we don't shock the plants. Other then that I really do not have a gameplan... just going to cut them back the way I want....

 

Make sure the blade is sharp otherwise it will just 'tear' the branches - not good for the plant.

 

Nah, that's about it... Hack away... If you fuck up, it'll grow back next spring

Just one word of advice, since you've got alot of it to do, just start with the part that people won't see... if you mess up there, it won't be noticable. You'll get better as you go along, and you'll be a pro by the time you finish...

 

good points Greenie, thx.

 

<----- Former landscaper in a previous life

Trim the hedges in a keystone shape like below. You want to make sure you get air circulating under the bushes.


----
\../

Figure out where the low spot is on the top and attempt to "blend" it in. You don't need to trim everything down to the lowest point. Sometimes doing this will end up up with a lot of bald spots.

 

I have 2 front bushes in front of my house and they grow quick, I prefer my hedge to be rounded on top and straight on the sides. plus the hedges are right next to my main walkway. I have to trim them about every 3 weeks.

I use the sidewalk as my line to cut against, they come out just right everytime, make sure when you cut, if you go down sometime you can tear the branches, I like to go up instead, its just personal preference.

 

Actually I could send over a couple deer that wander around our neighborhood - they will have it trimmed for you overnight!

 

Yeah I couldn't figure out how make the corners round.

 

fawk me, 25' done and my arms are going to fall off.

I have to race a 24hour mtn bike race this weekend, i don't think i can hold onto the bars at this point.

what have I gotten myself into

 

475' to go...

 

Quit whining and get your work done! This will help make a man out of you.

Good luck with the race if you make it. Next time either hire someone or allow more time. If this is your hedge, buy your own hedge trimmer.

 

Time to hire some mexicans... you do have mexicans up there, no ??

 

This explains a LOT about your away message.

We really need to trim ours; we only have maybe 15 feet total but they're out of control. I dunno if it's better to just do them myself with a hand trimmer or wait for Scott to hire some Mexicans.

I swear our backyard keeps getting smaller tho...

 

^^ Why do it yourself, when you can hire a mexican?

 

 

500 feet?? that's a BIG project...We've got somewhere in the area of 40 feet about 8ft high and it's a two man project for a solid half day.

 

i ended up doing another neighbours too, so add another 200'

I have done all the sides, just have the top left to do. Will begin that tomorrow and finish on Weds hopefully.

greenie, i will see about taking some pics.

 

^ Do you do this as a business? ....or are you just the nice guy in the neighborhood?

 

nice guy in the hood, but they are paying me.

 

doing the top 10' @ a time

 

You gotta be nuts! It looks great but that is way to much work. Do you live in a park or what? J/K

Really very nice but you need to hire someone. That looks to much like a part-time job. Are those mountains in the distance of photo #1?

 

it's a hill the other side of the lake.

 

I must say Acurazine members have some really nice homes/properties

 

It's almost Thursday. How much have you done.. How much left? I don't envy you as far as trimming those hedges go.

 

God damn, that's about a 10 person job. Looks nice though.

 

Nice pics Astro... Looks like you've got it all figured out...

 

should be finished tomorrow. I just have the neighbour to my right side's top left to do.

what a fucking job, I'll never do this again.

I think the total is something like 800' of hedge I've trimmed

 

damn that looks like it was a lot of work

 

Wow, that's nuts. Looks good though!!

Next time around... just hire someone

 

You know this shit grows back, right ?? Someone has to do it every couple of years, and you're the resident expert now