Conifers such as yew, spruce or pine are evergreen and easy to shape. These are ideal conditions for a hedge existence. But their needle dress can quickly lose its uninterrupted green if mistakes are made with the scissors. Here's how you can avoid them.
Conifers are very tolerant of pruning
A malleable grove
A conifer hedge has to meet different expectations in terms of shape than a free-standing conifer. The green border separation should sometimes be wall-like and, above all, opaque. For this, it has to be pruned a lot and regularly. The question is justified as to whether the conifers tolerate such extensive pruning measures at all.
You don't have to worry about a conifer in this regard, because it tolerates pruning. As long as you follow a few pruning rules, it will stay green and in shape without gaps. You are the one who has to consider whether the editing effort can be mastered in terms of time. If you are too careless with it, the conifer can turn brown.
When and how often to cut?
The evergreen coniferous hedge needs to be trimmed at least twice a year. First in May or June, when the tender green new shoots appear. The second time the scissors will be used in August.
Some types of conifers are so fast-growing that further cuts are necessary. But even in this case, the pruning time is over by October at the latest, because the wood has to be able to recover from the pruning by winter. The chosen day for the cut should be overcast, it may even rain.
Form the coniferous hedge correctly
Although conifers can be pruned, you should not go into the old wood. No new growth will result from this, which would result in unsightly gaps or brown spots. Therefore, after planting, the first cut must not be too late.
- begin as soon as the desired hedge height is reached
- cut only young green shoots
- shorten by a maximum of 10 cm
- cut narrower at the top than at the bottom (conical shape)
- so the lower part of the hedge also gets enough light
- this effectively avoids bareness
- Limit height as desired
tips
A special nutrient combination of iron, sulfur and magnesium also ensures a beautiful hedge. Be sure to fertilize the coniferous hedge with a fertilizer that offers these three elements.
Appropriate tool
For the conifer hedge you should buy the best cutting tool. It is worth going for quality and spending a little more money on it, because a challenging task awaits the pruning shears. During the long period of use, it should always be well sharpened and cleaned. Clean, smooth cuts heal faster. Frayed interfaces, on the other hand, are an invitation for pathogens to penetrate inside the tree and damage it.
Electric shears make cutting large hedges much easier because they can save a lot of time. However, they are not absolutely necessary. Decide for yourself whether you prefer electrically operated tools or the manual version.