Our guide will show you how to trim hedges correctly. Discover useful tips for different plants, sizes and shapes.
24.10.2023
You should only trim spring-flowering hedges after they have flowered
Make sure there are no nests of breeding birds in the hedge before performing light shaping in summer (March to September)
More severe pruning is possible from 1 October
Cut new stems to one third of their length
Hedge trimmer for chest-height hedges, long-reach hedge trimmer for tall hedges
Create topiary with your shrubs and bushes
There are laws in place regulating when hedges may be trimmed. These plants can generally be trimmed from November to February. Light maintenance cuts on the hedge are permitted all year round, as long as there are no animals nesting in it. The exact regulations can be found in Section 39(5) of the German Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG).
You can find out more about this topic in our guide “When can you trim hedges?”
The ideal time to start trimming a hedge is in spring. You should do the actual hedge pruning shortly before new growth begins. Please observe the applicable legal regulations and ensure that there are no birds nesting in the hedge.
The weather should be mild when trimming hedges. A cloudy day with above-zero temperatures is ideal. If conditions are very sunny, or too hot, freshly cut sections can dry out and die off. Frosty temperatures are not recommended because fresh cuts can only heal slowly and will become brittle under these conditions.
The question of whether a neighbour is entitled to demand that you trim your hedge is a legal issue and is not regulated uniformly nationwide. The distance from the property line and the height of the hedge are regulated by the respective federal states. It is best to contact your municipality directly to find out the extent to which a neighbour may request that you trim a hedge and how this neighbourhood matter is specifically regulated.
The height a hedge is permitted to grow to depends on its location. In most German municipalities, hedges must not be allowed to grow more than two metres tall. Check with your municipality or city to avoid any potential issues with the authorities.
How often you should cut your hedge depends on the types of plants you have.
At least once a year: yew, berberis, cherry laurel, false cypress, mature thuja
At least twice a year: privet, hornbeam, field maple, copper beech, young thuja (after the first year of growth)
Hedges should be trimmed about twice a year for healthy growth and a long-lasting, attractive shape.
Spring trimming is performed in the spring, up until the beginning of March. For this the plant should be thoroughly trimmed and cut into shape.
Summer is all about keeping things shapely: if the leaves have grown unevenly, they should be trimmed to a uniform length. During the spring trim, you should cut the year’s growth back by a good two-thirds, removing any protruding or jutting shoots.
If necessary, you can also prune more dramatically in autumn, from 1 October.
There are laws regulating when you are allowed to trim hedges.
The German Federal Nature Conservation Act sets out exactly when hedges may be cut and when radical pruning is prohibited. Our guide will tell you when you can trim hedges and what fines you could face in the event of violations.
Beware of poisonous hedges
Some shrubs and hedges are poisonous. The yew is not suitable for households that include children or pets, because the seeds in its bright red berries are particularly poisonous.
You should only touch freshly cut thuja, cherry laurel and cypress stems when wearing gloves.
Some caution is also required when trimming privet and boxwood. So you should make sure you wear the right protective clothing when shaping and maintaining your hedge.
Hedges can be trimmed from the second year of growth.
After planting a hedge, it is important not to cut it at first. In the second year of growth, the young garden hedge can be trimmed and pruned into the desired shape. The main stem should be left intact until the plant has reached the desired height. All other stems should be cut back by half.
Stretching a piece of twine along the hedge can help to guide a straight cut.
Trim the side growth back by two-thirds and allow the main stems grow to the desired height.
Only a radical cut can help with an irregular or holey hedge. However, be careful: conifers no longer sprout after you have pruned them back to the wood. This is why you should never cut into the old wood of conifers, even during regular maintenance trims. Only the yew can withstand even ruthless cutting.
Giving hedges a trapezoidal shape – wide at the bottom, narrow at the top – prevents the bottom branches from going bald, as this shape ensures all branches get enough light. In addition, this shape ensures the hedge is not so laden down with snow in winter, as it means less snow accumulates on the top and also the snow can fall off more easily.
Use a template to help you achieve the desired shape.
Some garden owners want to give their shrubs and hedges a beautiful shape.
A cardboard template or a piece of twine can help you trim the plant into the correct shape.
There is generally a simple solution for correcting blemishes in hedges: lots of light. Smaller gaps will quickly close if they get enough sun. So you should remove adjacent branches or other sources of shade to ensure sufficient sunlight reaches the gap. Be careful with thuja hedges, as these do not forgive a deep cut into the wood of the plant.
Larger gaps can be closed by crossing adjacent shoots over the open space along a straight stick or bamboo cane. You can tie the shoots of the hedge loosely to the stick to keep them in place.
After trimming hedges, remember to dispose of the cuttings properly. Leaving cuttings on the lawn can inhibit grass growth and cause bare patches to develop.
Gather up the grass clippings with a fan rake or with a cordless blower such as the STIHL BGA 56. Alternatively, you can also spread out a textile underlay such as an old bed sheet before cutting the hedge, to catch the hedge clippings. Doing this will save you a lot of effort, especially when trimming hedges with very small leaves such as boxwood, as it makes the cuttings easy to pick up and dispose of.
Tall, wide hedges are no problem for STIHL long-reach hedge trimmers.
A STIHL long-reach hedge trimmer can also be used to reach particularly tall, long or excessively wide hedges. The optimum angle can be easily selected on the cutter bar, which can be rotated by up to 145 degrees.
Hedge trimmers are suitable for both landscape maintenance professionals and discerning private users.
Hedge trimmers are ideal for hip-height hedges.
STIHL hedge trimmers are designed specifically for effortless, fastidious maintenance of thick and particularly long hedges.
The double-sided cutting blade cuts accurately in both horizontal and vertical positions. STIHL hedge trimmers really shine when used on plants that are hip- to chest-height.
