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Hedge Cutting Ideas

MrKev80MrKev80 Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Good Morning, 

Please bear with me on my 1st post as I hopefully explain what I am looking for help with. 

I need to cut this mature boundary hedge back to the blue line. 

This will both reveal part of the garden that it currently screens so Im wondering if anyone else has done this and whether eventually the hedge will simply grow around to cover what will become the bare area. The second image is looking from behind it

Also would it simply be a case of cutting all branches back and is it a simple job (I have access to a chainsaw but would prefer to use saws/hedge trimmers where possible)

Finally, this is a request from the council as I've been informed it blocks sight at a junction (it doesnt, but they've given me 14 days or said they will cut it and send costs to me). Am I allowed to cut this much hedge at this time of year, with it being nesting season etc



Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Is it privet? It's hard to tell from the photos. Can you do a closer view of the foliage?  :)

    In any case, the choice is simple. If the council has told you to do it and you don't, they'll do it anyway and you'll be paying, so you may as well do it yourself. A hedge trimmer will probably be perfectly fine for the job. 
    If it is privet, it'll grow back no problem. There seems to be ivy on the other side, so if it's something that won't readily grow back, you can train the ivy through it instead to give coverage.
    Then keep it nicely trimmed every year to avoid being in the same situation again in future  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Is it privet? It looks like it.
    If so, cut it back a bit further than you want it to end. That might mean some thick branches that you'll need a saw for, but it shouldn't need a chainsaw. It will shoot from just behind where you cut, then each time it grows you can trim off a little and get multiple shoots instead of each one. Each time you do that it'll get bushier and by the time it gets to the size you want, it'll be a nice flat surface.
    Before you cut, have a peer inside to check for birds' nests - if there are any it's illegal for either you or the council to cut it until they've finished rearing the babies (but if the council thinks it's a road safety issue they may be able to disregard the law about nesting birds).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • MrKev80MrKev80 Posts: 4
    Fairygirl said:
    Is it privet? It's hard to tell from the photos. Can you do a closer view of the foliage?  :)

    In any case, the choice is simple. If the council has told you to do it and you don't, they'll do it anyway and you'll be paying, so you may as well do it yourself. A hedge trimmer will probably be perfectly fine for the job. 
    If it is privet, it'll grow back no problem. There seems to be ivy on the other side, so if it's something that won't readily grow back, you can train the ivy through it instead to give coverage.
    Then keep it nicely trimmed every year to avoid being in the same situation again in future  :)
    Thank you for the advice. Sadly I inherited the hedge as it is a number of years ago and have always kept it shaped and trimmed but I feel youre right and I will need to do the work. 

    The ivy on the other side is just an area of the garden that I keep deliberately overgrown, it is hidden from view of the garden as theres a gap of 4-5ft before the boundary fences so its kept wild for wildlife purposes :) 
  • MrKev80MrKev80 Posts: 4
    JennyJ said:
    Is it privet? It looks like it.
    If so, cut it back a bit further than you want it to end. That might mean some thick branches that you'll need a saw for, but it shouldn't need a chainsaw. It will shoot from just behind where you cut, then each time it grows you can trim off a little and get multiple shoots instead of each one. Each time you do that it'll get bushier and by the time it gets to the size you want, it'll be a nice flat surface.
    Before you cut, have a peer inside to check for birds' nests - if there are any it's illegal for either you or the council to cut it until they've finished rearing the babies (but if the council thinks it's a road safety issue they may be able to disregard the law about nesting birds).
    Thank you Jenny. I just wanted to ensure that a hard cut at this time of year wouldnt fully kill it. Thank you for the reply, this is what I will do now I know it will re-shoot :) 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Privet is easy :) . You can cut it as hard as you like and it'll grow back. A good watering at the base near the cut area will help it along but it'll get there on its own sooner or later. It's conifer hedges that don't regrow from the old wood.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd have thought it was unlikely for any birds to still have young in nests, but certainly worth checking first as @JennyJ says. If so, inform the council [in writing/email] and say you will be cutting the hedge as soon as they're vacated. You then have proof that you've shown intent, and you'll be doing the job, if anything kicks off.  :)

    As Jenny also says - cut back slightly further than you need, and it'll come back fine and create a nice finish  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    Get a couple of men in they will sort it out in a couple of hours and take the cuttings away. Life is too short to sort this out yourself in this heat.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    It doesn't look like a massive job to take that slice off the end. An hour or so with a hedgetrimmer and big loppers or a saw should do it. Getting rid of the stuff - I'd put it in the council garden waste bin myself as it'll be too bushy to go through a domestic shredder for composting.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • MrKev80MrKev80 Posts: 4
    Just a quick update, it took about 30 mins to cut all back to the "line" indicated using a cordless hedge trimmer, I then used some snipping tools to tidy up the ends of some branches. Overall its a bit of an eyesore compared to how it had looked, but its only a small part of a large privet and Im hoping it re-shoots very quickly :) 
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