STIHL gardening tip: hedge trimming
Whether it’s a hedge trimmer, brushcutter, chainsaw or blower, every STIHL tool is the product of experience gained in decades of the development and use of power tools for forest and garden.
Our garden tools are designed perfectly for their intended applications. We want to share our expert knowledge with you to ensure you can relax as you take on the challenges that await you around your home and garden. That is why we have brought together some useful tips and tricks for you in our series of articles entitled “STIHL gardening tip”.
In this article, we will explain how to use a hedge trimmer correctly and what you should take into account when picking the right time to trim your hedge to ensure that you stimulate growth.
Our expert tips on hedge trimming
- It is important to choose the right weather and time of day: Make sure you don’t trim your hedge when temperatures are too high; instead, choose a cloudy day. The best time to do it is after midday because the sap in the plants will have retreated from the limbs into the stems by that time. This means you can prevent the freshly cut sections drying up too much in the sun.
- For a thicker hedge: Every time you trim your hedge, you stimulate its growth. If you cut back the hedge frequently but only lightly, it will grow thicker over time – provided that it gets enough water, warmth and light.
- How to make sure you cut straight: For a straight cut, it’s helpful to look for a guide edge that runs parallel to the hedge. For example, this could be the edge of a lawn or a kerb, or a distinctive point at the end of the hedge that you can keep aiming for as a point of reference. Alternatively, you could also use a tensioned piece of string for orientation. You should also ensure that you hold the hedge trimmer level as you trim. You should step back every so often to see how the hedge is shaping up from a distance. This will make it easier to tell if you are really cutting straight or not.
- The right time of year: The best time to use your hedge trimmer for the first time is between the start and the middle of March. This is the time of year when the hedge is just about to flower, which means that the cut will hardly weaken the hedge at all. You can trim the hedge again at the end of June or start of July, since many hedges flower again at this time.
However, you should bear in mind that this second cut is only for the purposes of shaping and maintenance. The radical cutting or removal of a hedge is not permitted between March and September because that is the time of year when birds breed, and they may have nested in the hedge. You should therefore check your hedge for birds’ nests before every cut.
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Whether you’re trimming a hedge, mowing the lawn, trimming lawn edges, removing foliage or cutting firewood – we have the right battery-powered product for any job around the home and garden. With our quiet, emissions-free STIHL garden tools, you can do gardening with ease.
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A huge plus: the battery can be used in all tools within the COMPACT cordless power system range, enabling you to be ready for any challenge around the home and garden. On our website you can find an overview of the battery charging times.