The short answer is: it depends on the plant. Get the timing right and you’ll get healthier growth and more flowers. Get it wrong and you can lose a year of flowering or damage the plant. Here’s a simple guide.
Is it OK to cut my hedge now?
The main thing to think about is nesting birds. The breeding season runs roughly from March to August, and it’s against the law to damage or destroy an active nest. You can still trim during those months, but check carefully first.
For most garden hedges, late summer into early autumn is the sweet spot. Evergreen hedges like laurel, privet and Leylandii are best trimmed in August or September, which gives the new growth time to harden off before the frosts. Beech and hornbeam can be trimmed in late summer, with any harder cutting back done in winter.
One warning with Leylandii: never cut back into the old brown wood. It won’t grow back.
Trees
Most deciduous trees are best pruned in winter, between November and March, when they’re dormant. You can see the shape clearly and it’s less stress for the tree.
There are a few exceptions:
- Cherry, plum and other stone fruit: prune in summer to reduce the risk of disease.
- Birch, maple and walnut: these bleed sap, so prune in early winter when fully dormant.
Shrubs
- Spring flowering (forsythia, lilac, weigela): prune straight after flowering.
- Summer flowering on new growth (buddleja, lavatera): cut back in early spring.
- Lavender: trim lightly after flowering and never cut into old wood.
Before you cut a tree, check this
If a tree has a Tree Preservation Order or you’re in a conservation area, you’ll need permission from the council before doing any work. Around here that’s usually Reigate & Banstead, Tandridge or Crawley. It’s worth checking, as the fines can be hefty.