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• PRO

  Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd June 19, 2011 at 9:39pm

  As above, a good eye is best.
  
  If you cut slowly and steadily you will achieve a better cut and much quicker than if it is rushed.
  
  Stepping back and looking after each ladder move is helpful. I use double sided husqys and stihls with long reach double sided stihls + chainsaw attachment for thicker branches.
  
  Nick
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  Kieran Ray June 19, 2011 at 10:27pm

  As has been said, good equipment and a good eye is all you need.

   

  As they say practice makes perfect!
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  Dan Frazer Gardening June 20, 2011 at 6:06pm

  You learn to look at the hedge from an overall perspective rather than get bogged down in the 2ft immediately in front of you. Once you master this you can cut nicely.

   

  Each time I step back I try to imagine looking at it from the point of view of the client or a member of the public and decide if it looks perfect or not. If not, I sort it out.

   

  Lower hedges can be cut to a constant height by keeping your arms in the same place relative to your body, if the ground is even. Higher ones I tend to use a point on the ladder as a reference for height. Height reductions I try to use the trimmers as much as I can, and trim around the thicker stems before using the pole saw to lop them off.
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  GORDON June 20, 2011 at 6:24pm

  Yes, on occasions when 2 people are working on the one hedge. The occasions I can recall was on very high conifers which had never been leveled. All we did was get a long length of cord and attach it to the Conifers using clothes pegs. Then start at each end working to the middle.
• PRO

  Landscope June 21, 2011 at 9:24am

  Hi Guys,

   

  When cutting a large hedge down to size I have tried numerous methods but the one below works best fr me and also you can set up line and leave employees to cut to your marks!!

   

  I bought some green and yellow line marking paint, String a line then give a light spray of the colour closest to the colour of the hedge at the desired hight and then remove the string and cut to painted line. Line fades over a couple of weeks and hedge is perfect.

   

   
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  Matt Brown July 2, 2011 at 9:36am

  i dont use guides but on my own hedge i have a faded yellow rope washing line that is tied to the fence and conservatory at 6 foot. this is more to show next door that i want the hedge at 6 foot the whole length not with a 2 foot random dip half way down the garden. the rope also shows where the angle changes i'm sure you get the idea from the pictures (excuse the state of it i only cut it 3 weeks ago and it needs doing again)
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  Matt Brown July 2, 2011 at 9:57am

  
• PRO

  Neal Barker @ Etesia uk July 2, 2011 at 9:57am

  the only thing i ever did was when i first started out when i was 15, my boss mad me stand face onto a wall for half hour and practis moveing the trimmer up and over as if i was cutting a hedge to get used to the way my arms would move but keeping the trimmer blade flat and level.

   

  after that it was just practice as much as i could

   

  guide lines and aids are a wast of time and if you use them you will take much longer to get the techniqe 100%
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  Roy Parker July 2, 2011 at 10:05am

  i avoid any think metal close to hedge cutters after hitting a piece of re bar buried in a hedge a few weeks ago cost me a new set of blades  good eye works best sometimes use a line of the gutters on house or building close by as a reference point
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  Andy Lawrence July 3, 2011 at 1:11am

  A good eye and some strength to keep the blades where you want them.

  Lines waste time and a spirit level would be useless personally because I cut with the blade at a slight angle.