How to Use a Hedge Trimmer – Expert Guide

Looking into your well-trimmed and maintained lawn is something beyond words can express. Pick up your trimmer to prune every protruding hedge and bush. But do you know how to do it like an adept and seasoned landscaper?

If not, then it is very indispensable to know it first. To enjoy the enchanting beauties of the well-turned-out yard, adopt the nippiest directions to do it. It helps ensure the graceful charm of a tidy patio.

How to use a hedge Trimmer:

Planning and preparation:

Planning the things before starting to trim the hedges is the prior most thing for better control. The landscaper has to plan before stepping into the lawn for pruning. He has to ensure he is fully prepared for the latent issues.

First thing first he has to check the weather report for the day. After getting a positive signal for any pathogen on the way, the area under the hedge, safety equipment like gloves, goggles or sunglasses, helmet, rubber soled shoes,

Length of the hedge, a plastic wrap to lay at the base to collect the debris, the blades of the trimmer, first aid box (for any type of potential injury) and a ladder ( if hedges are too high for the trimmer). Choose a hedge trimmer with the suitable and appropriate span of cutter bar for the task you expect to perform. One cannot ignore the quality and surface of the ground around the hedge. There can be the burrows of the animals. Secondly, it should not be an uneven ground. Determine the tie of the trim looking into the type you are going to deal with. Also look thoroughly for the nests of the birds in the hedge. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 cutting a hedge with a nest in it is a felony.

Clean the area by picking up any dead plants, leaves or twigs that can hinder the process. Move anything that hinders the procedure out of the way. Remove any debris. Lay the sheet so that it can hold the trimmed debris to make the cleaning easier by the end.

Know the safety practices:

Safety is an essential and a fundamental step when it comes to using machines or gadgets. The landscaper should read the manual properly before trimming the hedges. The knowledge of proper procedure is a vital step to avoid any misfortune while trimming. Landscapers should ensure using appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). He should avoid using loose, unfastened or slack apparel that can get trapped in brushwood and branches. He should wear a closely fitted dress that makes him easy and calm. The trimmer should be in optimal condition to be used. It should be fully charged, its blades cleaned and should be well greased. The nuts, bolts, screws, locks and handles are to be properly monitored before using.

Hold the trimmer as per instructed in the patent circular. The front and hind grips are to be grabbed properly and to place the thumb under the handles. Your hand should be behind the protective guard. Doing so will ensure protection throughout using it.

Balance the tool so that it may not wriggle and wiggle in your hands. The shaking trimmer can cause an accident. Keep the machine close to your body and handle it with both hands. Be sure your gloves are fixed and not slippery.

A hedge trimmer fitted to a spinning tail feature is designed for efficiency and comfort in the working environment. Make sure that the whole hedge has got plenty of light and every part of it is visible to you.

Start Slowly and at the base:

The trimming needs meticulous care in which small details are to be considered. The starting blows should be slow and small. Doing so will not ruin the looks and shape of the hedge. The trimming should be done in bottom up mode-starting from the base to the top. The landscaper can trim both vertically and horizontally. But he has to keep the same pattern i.e. the horizontal and vertical strokes are not to be mixed. To have a tidy and uniform trim, extensive cutting is required. The up and down motions are the vertical cuts. For horizontal cut, the blade should be angled at 10 degrees. There should be a comfortable and relaxed distance between the hedge and the horticulturist. The cord should be behind if the trimmer is not cordless then. The cable should be sprawling away from the landscaper.

Trim the hedge conical from top to bottom so that the light can reach the whole hedge. The top should be thinner than the bottom. To have a more accurate and specific design use the plywood or cardboard designs.

By the end of the trimming just take away the plastic sheet being used as the debris' trash bin all along. It should be picked up quite carefully so that the cleanliness of the yard is not affected by the spilling and falling debris.

Care for the hedge trimmer after use:

The hedge trimmer is not a disposable machine. You will need it over and over again. So you should leave it back in optimal condition. It should be cleaned so that no rubble is left behind in the blades or teeth. Before putting it back to the store it is required to maintain it properly for the next smooth cut. You can wash its blades with water and detergent or soapy solution. Lubricate it properly and to protect it from rust, wrap it up in a cloth. Store it in a dry place.

Guides for Popular Hedging Plants

• Ilex aquifolium (holly) - trim once by the end of summer
• Buxus sempervirens (box) - Cut for two or three spells in developing season
• Cotoneaster lacteus - cut for merely after fruiting
• Prunus laurocerasus - Clip it two times during spring/ summer
• Lavandula (lavender) - Snip immediately after blossoming

• Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Lawson cypress) - Cut once in spring and once in summer
• Taxus baccata (yew): Cut once in mid-summer and once in autumn

• Carpinus betulus (hornbeam): Once, in mid-to-late summer
• Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn): once in mid-summer and next in autumn
• Berberis thunbergii - cut after zenith of flowering