Trimming hedgerows- sorta

[Treeaddict]

Customer want about one foot taken off about to waist height. My guess is that I can’t take my 395xp with a 36” bar and walk along the row but I’ve never reduced anything like this. Does it have to be reduced like most other trees and taken back to a union? Can I run the saw down it? Hedge trimmers?

 

[lxskllr]

Tell them that's the landscaper's job :^P

I've done yew and boxwood by just giving them a haircut. The way I do it, they look a little ugly for awhile(I don't care), but they rebound in full force(unfortunately). Dunno about those specifically, but I can recommend against a chainsaw. It doesn't work that well, and it makes an ugly cut. Hedgetrimmers are better for haircuts.

 

[Burnham]

I don't think a chainsaw is the right tool, either. The branches are too flexible to get a clean cut, or a clean line.

I can't quite imagine that it won't look pretty sad, actually. It doesn't look very good at all when it's browsed back by deer, which is common around here. Of course, the deer never let it grow back in, so there is that.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Anyone interested in a 42" Sthil hedge trimmer

 

[Treeaddict]

Anyone interested in a 42" Sthil hedge trimmer

Pppffftttt! Who needs that when I got this heavy duty Black n Decker 😂. If it was good enough for my WW2 gunner grandfather, it’s good enough for me! 🤣

 

[lxskllr]

That's interesting. I've never seen a single sided hedge trimmer.

 

[Treeaddict]

Tell them that's the landscaper's job :^P

I've done yew and boxwood by just giving them a haircut. The way I do it, they look a little ugly for awhile(I don't care), but they rebound in full force(unfortunately). Dunno about those specifically, but I can recommend against a chainsaw. It doesn't work that well, and it makes an ugly cut. Hedgetrimmers are better for haircuts.

So treat it like a hedge?

Re: landscaper
I wanted to decline but she just paid me good money to remove a tree and she’s my wife’s coworker. I don’t want to do it and the profit will be tiny but I’ll probably do it for her.

 

[Treeaddict]

That's interesting. I've never seen a single sided hedge trimmer.

It’s unique, fo sho.

I do have a 22” 2 sided electric trimmer but can’t get rid of the family heirloom.

 

[Treeaddict]

Anyone interested in a 42" Sthil hedge trimmer

Are you selling your hedge trimmer? Crypes, shipping would be brutal from CA to MD.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm not familiar with that tree. I suspect it'll come back after having the ends removed, but I would be nervous doing it for someone else without knowing for sure. I can only vouch for box and yew.

I hear you on the reason why you'd do the job. I probably would also, but that isn't something I'd voluntarily add to my list of services. Hedge trimming is the worst. It's tedious, and it's a distinct art form. It's the kind of thing I don't want to be good at.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Are you selling your hedge trimmer? Crypes, shipping would be brutal from CA to MD.

Its about 100.00 to ship from out small town. Conservatively.
Ive paid more for a CS once. I think it was closer to 140.00

 

[flushcut]

Its about 100.00 to ship from out small town. Conservatively.
Ive paid more for a CS once. I think it was closer to 140.00

That's crazy I shipped 142lbs of wool rugs from India for less and they showed up in two weeks with one week being US customs.

 

[flushcut]

Back on topic: a hedge trimmer is the tool to use. OR fence off a section and bring in some goats they will eat everything about mid chest and lower, plus they will organically fertilize the lawn. Up charge hey yo!

 

[WoodCutr]

Back on topic: a hedge trimmer is the tool to use. OR fence off a section and bring in some goats they will eat everything about mid chest and lower, plus they will organically fertilize the lawn. Up charge hey yo!

I used to have a few sheep a while back, in a paddock, say 100x30ft, leave them in it for 2-4 days before moving them, they would eat the grass down to about 4", and all the underbrush up to about 4ft, almost looked like you ran through with a forestry mulcher

I second the goat idea

 

[SeanKroll]

Don't cut the green all off.

If you do too much, too fast, it will be too much, too fast.

If she wants it back a full foot from where the hedge is, now, it's possible it should have been done 8" ago.

 

[Treeaddict]

Don't cut the green all off.

If you do too much, too fast, it will be too much, too fast.

If she wants it back a full foot from where the hedge is, now, it's possible it should have been done 8" ago.

I didn’t want to get down to bare branches so I’ll leave some green. Thank you.

Curious, if all the foliage is removed, will the bare branch “leaf” out? Probably not would be my guess. Stuck looking at twigs.

 

[Burnham]

With most coniferous species, once it's gone, it's gone. Some epicormic growth may sprout, depending on species and available sunlight, but that's usually pretty weak stuff.

 

[SeanKroll]

If you leave more than you think you need, you might only have enough.

Too much off, too fast is Way harder to grow back than making it 2 shears in 2 or 3 years.

 

[Bart]

After you explain why you can't cut all the green off, then they brow beat you into acquiescing, they say "I didn't know it would end up ruined like that." Stubborn old customers. Hold your ground take the heat and cut less off. Just had a rental next-doorer take off 3 ft deep to the stem x 15'x 6ft high out of the side of a 45 year old cedar hedge right after I face trimmed it and explained they needed to talk to the homeowner for opinion/permission. They did it when no one was around.