Hedge How-To Guides
No fluff, no filler. Just practical guides from a team that cuts hedges for a living in Kent. New ones added whenever we learn something worth writing down.
When to trim hedges in Kent
A month-by-month calendar for Kent gardens, with the bird nesting dates you really shouldn't ignore.
Read the guide SpeciesLooking after a privet hedge
Privet's the workhorse of the English garden. Here's how to keep it dense, green and looking proper.
Read the guide ConifersLeylandii & conifers, what to know
Cut into the brown wood once, and it's game over. A short guide to keeping a leylandii alive while you tame it.
Read the guide RestorationRenovating a neglected hedge
Inherited a garden with a hedge that's had a few years off? Here's how to bring it back without killing it.
Read the guide WildlifeWildlife-friendly hedge trimming
Nesting birds, hibernating hedgehogs and the law that protects both. When to cut, and when to wait.
Read the guide Neighbours & lawHedge heights & the High Hedges Act
What you can cut, what you can't, and what to do about a neighbour's hedge that's blocking the light.
Read the guide Planting & choosingChoosing a hedge species for Kent gardens
Coastal, clay, chalk or shaded, different spots want different species. Here's what to pick.
Read the guide DIYHow to trim a hedge straight
A working hedge cutter's step-by-step for a clean finish at home, kit list, string-line trick, and the common mistakes.
Read the guide DIYWhat to do with hedge trimmings after a cut
A decent-sized hedge produces more clippings than most people expect. Here's what actually works, and what just makes a soggy mess at the bottom of the garden.
Read the guide SpeciesYew hedge care in Kent
Yew is the one hedge plant you can cut back to old wood and it still comes back. Here's when to trim, how hard to cut, and how to shape it properly.
Read the guide DIYChoosing a hedge trimmer: cordless, corded or petrol?
Cordless battery, corded electric or petrol hedge trimmer? A plain-English comparison to help you pick the right tool for your hedge.
Read the guide SpeciesLaurel hedge care: pruning, timing and tools
Cherry laurel grows fast and looks terrible if you cut it with the wrong tool. Here's what actually works for laurel hedges in Kent gardens.
Read the guide PestsBox tree moth caterpillar damage: how to spot it and what to do
Box tree moth has gone from a rare sighting to established in every English county since it first turned up in UK gardens in 2008. If you've got box hedging in Kent, it's worth knowing what to look for.
Read the guide SpeciesBeech hedge care in Kent
When to trim, how to handle the copper winter leaves, and the two-year plan for renovating an overgrown beech hedge.
Read the guide DIYTopiary and formal hedge shaping
Hand shears or electric trimmer? The best plants for topiary in Kent, and when to clip each one for the sharpest results.
Read the guide Planting & choosingPlanting a native hedge for wildlife in Kent
A seven-step checklist for choosing species, preparing the ground, and establishing a bare-root native hedge in East Kent.
Read the guide SpeciesHornbeam hedge care in Kent
When to trim, why it keeps its leaves all winter, and how to renovate an overgrown hornbeam. The clay-soil alternative to beech.
Read the guide SpeciesHawthorn hedge care in Kent
The most wildlife-rich hedge plant in Britain. When to cut, how to navigate the berry season, and the decision between annual and biennial trimming.
Read the guide SpeciesHolly hedge care in Kent
Two timing windows, two very different outcomes for your winter berries. Tool comparison and shaping advice for Ilex aquifolium hedges.
Read the guide SpeciesPhotinia Red Robin hedge care in Kent
The red leaves only appear on new growth. When and how often you trim determines whether you get a vivid display or a flat green hedge.
Read the guide SpeciesGriselinia hedge care in Kent
The go-to evergreen for exposed coastal gardens. Salt-tolerant, one cut a year, and very at home along the Deal and Sandwich Bay seafront.
Read the guide SpeciesEscallonia hedge care in Kent
Evergreen cover and pink or red flowers from June to September. The timing of your one annual trim decides whether you get the flowers or not.
Read the guide SpeciesBox hedge care in Kent
When to trim Buxus, how to spot and manage box blight, and a renovation guide for a hedge that has got out of shape.
Read the guide SpeciesPortuguese laurel hedge care in Kent
Smaller leaves, a more refined look, and scented June flowers. How Portuguese laurel compares to cherry laurel, and when to trim it.
Read the guide ConifersThuja plicata hedge care in Kent
Western Red Cedar: faster than yew, slower than leylandii, aromatic and good-looking all year. Timing, winter bronzing, and the conifer rule you can't break.
Read the guide SpeciesPyracantha hedge care in Kent
Firethorn gives you flowers in May, berries in autumn and fieldfares in winter. The trimming timing is what makes or breaks the berry display.
Read the guide SpeciesElaeagnus hedge care in Kent
Elaeagnus x ebbingei vs Griselinia: a side-by-side comparison for coastal East Kent gardens, with trimming timing and renovation advice.
Read the guide SpeciesLonicera nitida hedge care in Kent
Box-leaf honeysuckle looks like box, grows faster, and costs less, but needs trimming far more often. Whether it suits your garden depends on one question.
Read the guide SpeciesBerberis hedge care in Kent
Thorny, colourful and genuinely wildlife-friendly. When to prune deciduous and evergreen varieties, and how hard you can safely cut back.
Read the guide SpeciesCotoneaster hedge care in Kent
Bees in May, thrushes in winter, and a six-step pruning process that keeps it dense. Includes the invasive species rules that catch many gardeners out.
Read the guide DIYFeeding hedges: organic, slow-release or liquid?
Most hedges get trimmed and never fed. Here is when to feed, what NPK actually means for a hedge, and which product suits your soil.
Read the guide PestsHedge aphids: diagnosis, treatment and prevention
Sticky leaves, black deposits and curling growth explained, with practical treatment options from a hosepipe wash to biological control.
Read the guide ConifersLawson cypress hedge care in Kent
The one rule that applies to all conifers, when to trim, and how hard you can safely cut a Chamaecyparis lawsoniana hedge.
Read the guide DIYHedge care in summer and drought
East Kent is one of the driest parts of England. A checklist for protecting hedges through summer heat and dry spells, with watering and mulching advice.
Read the guide SpeciesRosa rugosa hedge care in Kent
Flowers, hips and thorny natural security. How Rosa rugosa compares to hawthorn, when to prune it, and how to manage suckers.
Read the guide PlantingCaring for a newly planted hedge
Watering, mulching and formative pruning in the first year: the establishment routine that makes the difference between a hedge that thrives and one that muddles along.
Read the guide DIYSharpening hedge shears and secateurs
A post-season checklist for cleaning, filing and oiling cutting tools so they make clean cuts and last for years.
Read the guideGot a hedge question we haven't covered?
Email hello@sandwichhedges.co.uk with the question. If it's a good one, we'll write it up and add it here, with your first name on it if you want the credit.