How to Shape Bushes with Hedge Trimmer

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Bushes and hedges are the major visual features of your backyard & make a real impact on how the garden looks.

But it’s the rule of thumb that this beauty needs to be maintained. And if you are careless about performing the basic trimming tasks, it will lose its natural, fascinating view, and things will get a LOT messy.

And you don’t want this to happen, right?

We often see that the bushes look really weird when they overgrow, as well as come out of windows, and block streets, too.

Generally, the beginning of the year is the best time to design and shape the overgrown bushes or hedges before the summer sun.

Regular trimming helps them grow super healthy and keeps the garden looking tidy.

But here, you might be thinking about how to shape bushes with hedge trimmer. Well, just hold on! If you have never used any tool, like a hedge trimmer, or simply want to improve your skills, you’ve come to the right place.

Dig in to explore how you can use this magical machine efficiently to shape all your bushes;

HOW TO SHAPE BUSHES WITH HEDGE TRIMMER A GUIDE

Shaping Bushes With Hedge Trimmer – What Do I Need?

Shaping a bush or hedge is typically limited by the bush’s size, type, as well as your imagination. It is usually known as topiary and is comparatively convenient to do, and needs just a little practice.

Relying on your desired shape, you will require the following things:

  • Hedge trimmer
  • String
  • Piece of bamboo
  • Wooden stakes

For round, irregular, or spiral hedges, you need:

  • Wire meshing
  • Saw or Hand shears

In this process, safety must be your first concern. Make sure to wear safety equipment and appropriate clothing while making the shapes. If you’re using an electric trimmer, you should plug it into the quality RCD adaptor – so it cuts out if there’s any power surge.

Read on to explore how to trim bushes in front of house properly:

How To Shape Bushes With Hedge Trimmer – Top Methods

While cutting a bush to shape it, you should know whether it requires a soft or hard trim.

  • Hard Trim

This kind of trimming includes cutting back the maximum foliage of the bush with leaves and long protruding stems.

Other than looking displeasing, overgrown leaves and stems prevent penetration of direct sunlight.

  • Soft Trim

This process is usually done on bushes with a particular shape, like square, round, or any other one that’s your favorite.

To achieve a neat and clean bush successfully, do the following steps:

Step 1. Start From The Bottom & Go Up

It is ideal to begin from the bush bottom, trimming upwards. It enables the sunlight to reach its bottom for the healthier growth of plants.

Step 2. Trim All Around The Bush Lightly

Your main aim should be to cut just a little. Simply take the trimmer & lay it on the bushes without pushing them too deep.

As you start making the shape of the bush, lightly pass the trimmer on the bush, and trim off the leaves on the top.

Step 3. Run A Rake Through The Bushes

After you’re done with trimming the bush, utilize a rake in order to remove the leaves you’ve trimmed off. It will remove all the bush leaves nicely.

If left inside, all of them will turn brown – eventually affecting the appeal of the bush. In the procedure, you may find some stems sticking out, which should be trimmed off.

Step 4. Pull Out The Fallen Leaves Or Simply Use Them As Mulch

Utilizing the blower to blow all the leaves and then collecting them can be a superb idea. And you can use those leaves as specific compost manure, too.

Related: How to Trim Holly Bushes With Hedge Trimmer

Different Shapes Used In Trimming Bushes

1. Straight Shape Cutting

Learning how to trim a hedge straight is really easier than making other shapes. In many countries, you are more likely to see straight-edge bushes or hedges. This is often known to define the boundaries of the property.

Usually, small hedges may be cut by eye, utilizing an electric trimmer with the person periodically stopping, standing back & examining that the hedges are straight.

In the case of larger hedges, it’s suggested that you just hammer two stakes into your garden at either end of the hedge. Simply tie the piece of string at your desired height to cut & pull it taut to make a straight line.

This way, you will be able to cut the bushes straight and evenly!

2. Square Shape Cutting

The basic principles of cutting square-shaped bushes are somehow the same as making a straight line.

You need to use a specific string pulled out between two garden canes in order to create the flat top utilizing the hedge trimmer in a sweeping, straight movement.

For making the flat sides, you have to use those garden canes again to ensure that they’re perfectly stood up straight.

Move the hedge trimmer up from the hedge base, keeping it efficiently aligned with the canes to make a flat surface.

3. Slope Shape Cutting

Before trying to give the bushes a slope, map out how you actually want them to look. Ensure that all the areas of the bushes or hedges are getting enough sunlight.

If not, these particular areas can eventually turn brown & die off. The wide part of the bush must be the base.

Moving on, using the same principle with the string pieces & wooden stakes, you need to create a straight bush.

Now, move the trimmer upwards from the slope base, gradually enhancing the amount you cut off as you move to its top.

If you are trimming old bushes, the electric trimmer won’t be able to trim the dense patches. So, ensure that you own a sharp saw or a pair of manual cutters.

4. Round Shape Cutting

If you want to have a rounded cut, start with the 3 inches from the hedge top. To attain a curve, you’ll have to make use of your instinct and eye.

Keeping the trimmer at a specific angle, move it right away from the top of the bush and your body.

Repeat this motion whenever you move around the bush to make an even finish. Unfortunately, there’s no other way to make this shape other than by eye unless you tend to utilize wire mesh.

It means that you may want to practice on a bush or hedge that is less prominent before you start to create the feature. All in all, if you know how to trim a bush into a ball shape, you can make your garden look super attractive.

5. Spiral Shape Cutting

It is the most prominent type of topiary. Though the spiral shape seems to be complex, the steps are super easy and can be done with just a little practice.

Trim the bush into a cone shape with its base as the broadest point. You can do this simply by placing the central point of growth at the bush’s top and working down and away from there to attain the cone shape.

If it’s looking very thin, give it some more time – so that it can grow before returning to make its spiral shape.

By using a string piece, just map out where you want the spiral to sit. It’ll help guide the shears as you work evenly around your plant.

Now, work up from the plant base, cutting at a specific angle to make this shape. As you progress, permit the angle to increase slowly to give this spiral more definition.

Benefits Of Trimming and Shaping Bushes

Trimming includes removing overgrown stems or leaves that can make the bushes out of shape. The top-notch benefits of shaping the bushes are elaborated on below:

  • Maintain The Shape Of The Bush

Trimming the bushes regularly maintains the yard’s aesthetics. That clearly means that you will be able to enjoy a super fascinating yard now.

  • Growth Of Healthy Plants

To boost the growth of healthy flowers and fruit, trimming is quite important. It highly prevents the excessive growth of stems that might interfere with the growth of flowers and fruits on your bush.

  • Helps Keep Areas Clear

Bushes that overgrow can restrict walking paths and views from the windows or garage entrances. All in all, this can be hazardous at worst or a nuisance at best.

How To Maintain Your Hedge Trimmer

Who wishes to see a messy yard full of overgrown bushes? No one, right? So, if you want to see a fabulous yard all year, it’s essential to maintain the trimmer.

Don’t know how to do this? Well, these incredible tips & tricks will help you;

Tip 1. Tighten Loose Screws And Bolts

The loose parts of the trimmer can fall off pretty easily and can be lost. All this will damage the rest of the machine.

This can be specifically daunting if you’re not sure what fell off & if it’ll make the trimmer dangerous to continue the process of trimming.

In fact, the vibrations that the device produces can cause bolts, connectors, and screws to loosen with the passage of time.

All this shows how important it is for you to give regular services to the trimmer.

Tip 2. Clean The Blades Often

Every single time the hedge trimmers cut their way through small branches and leaves, trace amounts of sap start to accumulate on the blades.

Later on, this can also cause the binding up of blades, which eventually reduces the cut efficiency. Doesn’t it sound frustrating?

Clean the blades whenever you use the trimmer, as it will remove debris that accumulates on it during the trimming process.

Remember to lubricate your trimmer, too. It’ll slow down the wear & tear on the machine.

Tip 3. Lubricate the blades regularly

The more you utilize the hedge trimmer, the high exposure to contaminants and moisture the blades receive.

This is surprising how rapidly erosion may set in & proper lubrication will assist in providing a superb protective barrier.

Moreover, lubrication helps the trimmer blades glide over each other really smoothly, resulting in more cutting power and less friction.

Tip 4. Clean the air filter

For the motor of a petrol hedge trimmer to work nicely, it needs a flow of cool, clean air.

When you make use of the trimmer, dust and debris particles start to build up in its filter & decrease the airflow.

This results in poor performance, overheating, and lack of engine power.

Tip 5. Store it correctly

If you store the garden equipment in the toolbox on the vehicle that’s damp and prone to leaks, then you are guaranteed to shorten its lifetime.

Moisture will lead the metal parts to corrode. And its fuel system might become super contaminated.

Plus, if your trimmer is entirely battery-driven, it can result in electrical component failures and electric shorts.

Recommended Time To Trim Bushes

You can trim bushes at any time of year. However, the best time to cut bushes is on a cloudy day, when the sun is not too intense! It is to prevent the ends of the branches or stems from being burned by direct sun.

Otherwise, choose late afternoon or early morning if it’s necessary to do so. But it would be great if you avoid performing this task when the birds start building nests in bushes. Instead, it’s fine to shape the hedges at the end of winter or summer.

However, wintertime is preferred. Dormant pruning is generally done in late winter, 5 – 10 weeks before the last frost in your specific area. But this can not limit the time period — do it when you need it.

Related: How to Use a Hedge Trimmer in Simple and Easy Ways

Frequently Asked Questions

1) How Do You Trim Bushes for Beginners?

Find any branch with the bud facing a specific direction where you want it to grow. Prune just above that just bud at the angle of 45 degrees, with the low point of the cut. Do not ever leave over ¼ inch of growth overhead the bud because it can eventually encourage rot.

2) Can You Use a Hedge Trimmer on a Bush?

If you are snipping away at untidy, small shrubs or simply have some thick branches you cannot stand the sight of, you will need shear. On the contrary, if you are cutting tall and long hedges, you could benefit a lot from the wide-sweeping trimmers for cutting it evenly.

3) How to Trim Tall Hedges With Electric Trimmer?

The ideal way to attain an irregularly shaped design is by creating a metal mesh that efficiently fits around the bush or hedge. Set the frame on the hedge’s top and then cut around the mesh neatly using hand shears or an electric hedge trimmer. Moreover, you also can trim hedges with shears for more convenience.

4) How To Trim Overgrown Bushes?

While pruning overgrown, mature shrubs, first remove the thickest branches. Cut them to the shrub base to boost new growth. In general, hand pruners are beneficial for smaller branches, and some can also handle diameters up to 1 inch. However, long-handled loppers can give you leverage to trim branches up to 1 – 2 inches in diameter.

5) What Tool Is Used To Shape Bushes?

Bypass pruners are perfect for cutting bushes in an appropriate way. Just remove bushes at the main stem to welcome more light in, & trim small tree limbs or water sprouts. Plus, knowing how to trim hedges by hand will also help you (in case you don’t have Bypass pruners).

6) What Bushes Should Not Be Trimmed?

Below are the top 7 shrubs that do not need pruning:

  • Tiny Wine Ninebark
  • Dark Horse Weigela
  • Lemon Meringue Potentilla
  • Blue Chip Jr
  • BoboPanicle Hydrangea
  • Superstar Spirea
  • Show Off Starlet Forsythia
  • Crystalina Summersweet

Bottom Line

By following the above-mentioned tips consistently, you’ll be able to get the bushes of your desired shapes. While not all these methods need to be performed after every single use, it’s a good idea to shape them in spring or winter.

In addition, the trimmer should also be maintained, and a regular check-up is important to keep the tool in tiptop condition & at peak performance. This will prepare your machine to trim and shape bushes in the best way possible.

Happy trimming, champs!

Rudy Sebastian
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