Following hedgelaying it is important to manage your laid hedge. A lot of time, money and effort has gone into laying your hedge and it is important to get the most benefit possible from it.
A laid hedge which is un-trimmed and neglected, very soon starts to return to its pre laid condition. New regrowth becomes dominant and can easily get to a stage where the plant starts to close down the pleachers and throws all the energy into the vertical growth.
Instead, an immediate trimming regime will encourage the hedge to thicken and throw many new lateral shoots causing the hedge to become thick and dense. If the growth rate is vigorous on the hedge then trimming can start in the autumn following laying, if regrowth is slow then start trimming in the second year.
If the hedge laid is a reasonably short section it is possible to use a long-handled hedge trimmer to clip the hedge. If not a tractor mounted flail or reciprocating knife cutter can be used. In the early years after laying the hedge can be trained to an ‘A’ shape. This is especially true of styles that are single brush hedge such as the Midland or Derbyshire, the slightly ‘leaning’ front face can be trimmed at the same angle.
Trimming can be quite tight in the early years. For example, styles with top bindings can be clipped down to just above the bindings.
Slowly over time the hedge trimming can become more relaxed and very slowly and incrementally the hedge is allowed to develop once more to the desired height.
