How to trim a large hedge
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- This video shows how to trim a large hedge using the equipment I have available. I realise that not everybody has a van, scaffolding and platforms so in that case you might be better off getting in a professional gardener or hiring a suitable work platform if you have a similar edge. Never try and do this from a ladder as it could be very dangerous! This video was filmed in September 2015 and I have only just got around to editing it. If you are trimming your edge please be careful as safety is of paramount importance.
You're literally like the dad I didn't have, not even taking the mick either. Only just found your channel. Appreciate it.
Thank you
I'm glad the videos help 👍
Thanks for this. It only cost me £12,000 for a used van, £3,000 for the rest of the equipment and a trip to A&E with a severed hand but now my edge is looking better than it ever has before!
At least you can still type with your good hand ;-)
🤣
Great work mate, love your detail to ensure no brown cuts left on top of hedge and ensuring consistent level, looks awesome
I agree with you that a fence is easier to maintain, hedges are hard work especially if they are the size of yours!
I put up walls all around my house which took a while but so easy now.
I love how you left the best tip until last. Don't bother, get a fence. ;-)
As well as this hedge at the front of the property there are also two at the rear, which are both twice as long but not as thick or high. I'd much rather replace them with fences and just spray the panels every couple of years instead of wasting my valuable time trimming these a couple of times a year!
Thanks for the comment ;-)
Hedging is the best way to have a border that is natural and not an eyesore, in my opinion, a hedge is the best way to have a border
I like your advice at the end! I was in a house with a very tall hedge between my garden and the neighbours and it did stress me out quite a lot. There was also a large hedge at the front that had been there decades, in the end I removed it which took several weeks, the density inside it was incredible. But I had more light in the front room and a better view too!
I can't help thinking that my life would be much easier if I lived in an apartment LOL
Thanks for the comment
Love your video's firstly because your in the Uk so cover things we can buy off the shelf and the verity of tools you cover some you don't find available of the shelf but can source online in the UK. Your vids are good easy to follower an you don't review crap one off tools Keep up the good work
Thanks for the comment ;-)
That's some mighty fine hedge trimming! and wow what a hedge! bet your arms were shaking for a while after that.
Absolutely.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
I filmed this video in September 2015 but have been too busy to edit it. I don’t like narrating the video afterwards as it sounds like someone is holding a gun to my head! The original video footage was 6 hours long but has been edited down to less than 5 minutes after spending over 20 hours editing the video.
I hope everyone has a great Sunday ;-)
Thanks for the video, love the idea of using the van as a scaffold! Also I've just bought a 12v Bosch cordless hedge trimmer, cant wait to use it, I've only ever used corded lawn and garden tools, so looking forward to see what it's like to trim my trees and hedges without a cable getting in the way!
You are welcome.
I'm not sure about cordless garden tools to be honest- unless you have several batteries.So far I have a Flymo 24v trimmer, a petrol trimmer and just recently I bought a corded long reach trimmer from Screwfix (which makes cutting the top of the hedge much easier).
I'm not sure how much longer the flymo will last as I have had it about 4 years now (the flymo cordless strimmer only lasted two before the battery packed in, then I started using a Milwaukee battery with it before the whole thing packed in).
For convenience the cordless tools are great, I think when the Flymo packs in I'll get a Dewalt 18V.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
i loved the tower on the top off the van i like that a lot.
Yeah, that makes the job much easier ;-)
Thanks for the comment
A brilliant and fantastic job!!!!! Excellent execution! I couldn't/wouldn't attempt it so, well done you guys 💖💖💖
Thanks for the comment
Makes you wonder about grubbing it out, and having a nice fence there that doesn't grow. . .! :-) I like the van scaffold Chez. Nice!
Thanks for the comment Dave ;-)
I loved the ending - if you are considering buying a house with a big hedge - don't bother... That fence is nothing compared to one of mine which is much much longer!
Anyway I also have a leylandii one too which is about 20 foot high hence on here. I have trimmed it up my biggest step ladders which are pretty tall with the electric hedge trimmers up to about 12 feet I would guess but the rest is currently defeating me - the men I usually get in even never reach the top although they sometimes have chopped the tops off for me (by the way my move from battery to electric ones was a game changer even though you have the long wire and extension leads as you never run out of power)
I have come to the conclusion that I hate gardening and would rather pay someone else to do it 😂
Thanks for the comment 👍
The lactic acid build up in your arms after that job must have been massive. As always great vid :)
It does not bother me to be honest Ian. I have been to the gym for most of my life until the last couple of years, where I have been too busy. I often lift heavy items when on site as well, such as valves that weigh 50/80/100 KGS.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
Wow, what a big job! Good job! Thanks for the video.
Absolutely.
Thanks for the comment
Looks like hard work well done on a great job
Thanks Tony ;-)
This is fantastic
Thanks 👍
Great Scot, love that accent. That said, isn't that hedge too tall? It's over the roof in the second part of the video. I would cut that down to the ground and start over.
What a beast? Thanks for sharing!I got a 5ft one and that's hard enough! Petrol hedge trimmer all the way though! ;)
Yeah, it's a monster ;-)
I prefer electric to petrol to be honest!
Thanks for the comment
Top vid mate.
Love the setup on top of the van too
Thanks for the comment
Looks fantastic
Thanks for the comment
great system with the van.
Yes, it works well ;-)
Thanks for the comment
We have tripod ladders at work for this type of job, all 3 of the legs are adjustable so the camber of the drive would not be a problem but your set up is much safer and you have a better working platform. We use the sthil km131r kombi great bit of kit and very versatile and has a great reach, but unless your doing a lot of this type of work its a bit hard to justify the price
Bravo! Please can we have a video about the construction of your scaffold tower and roof rack? Also, any tips for cutting the top of a large Conifer hedge which hasn't been cut for a long time?
The scaffold that I use is not very common as it is normally used in the aerospace/industry for accesses to difficult to reach areas. It's called Lobo scaffolding and I bought it at auction when a local paper mill closed down, I paid about £500 for a load of it which would cost £5000+ if bought from Lobo systems.
I'm not very good at trimming trees, at the start of the hedge where the lamp post is there is a tree in the hedge which was touching the telephone wire, so I trimmed it and it died LOL
I would imagine you would need some form of access equipment to get up to trim it.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
Great method as usual
Thanks for the comment ;-)
Be careful, Sean spicer might be hiding in there! Lol
LOL
You made the point I was going to make right at the end of the video. While it's great having a hedge, maintaining one this big is quite a big job so having a fence might be a better idea. How many times do you have to do this a year? Great video as always! 🍺
Luckily I only have to trim it once a year, normally in September after I have worked the plant shutdowns.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
next video: how to remove an annoying large hedge...
Forget the hedge, show us how you made that roof rack platform :)
I would do but most people won't have the stuff to make it.
The roof rack is just Rhino roof bars, but I attach 4 long Lobo tubes onto them using Lobands.
Then I clamp an easy deck onto the 4 poles.
The Easy deck and Lobo were bought at auction but are very expensive if you have to buy them from new.
Next time I cut the hedge I'll try and film how I make the platform ;-)
Thanks for the comment
Good job done but youre not pushing into the hedge hard enough so it will grow out despite trimming. I have a big privet to trim too and its not as easy as when I was a 20 year old. There will come a time I will have to radically prune it (you can do that with privet, though not with spruce) as its swelled over the years, though not as much as yours. Looks nice when its done though and you can relax for a few months happy in the knowledge that its enjoyed by many creatures 2 and 4 legged and birds too.
days like today are a damn good day for a bit of gardening tho !!! and a wel ldeserved beer after
I'd rather be in work than do gardening ;-)
The beer sounds good though.
Thanks for the comment
An easy way to keep the top flat is to lay a piece of plywood on top of the hedge . Then put the hedge trimmer on top of the plywood, and simply rotate the trimmer around in a circle or to cut at both ends of the plywood. After that pick up the plywood and move it to the newly trimmed area and repeat the process all the way down the hedge till its all cut to the same level.
Thanks for the comment 👍
What a lot of work. 2 Video ideas for you, 1, cut down that bloody hedge, 2, build a nice new fence! haha.
LOL ;-)
I trimmed some hedges for first time every they are square and even but some areas of the hedge look devastated with very few leaves and looks like just sticks will they fill back in or did mess them up
They should grown back, eventually.
It's a bit like having a bad haircut!
I think I might invest in a 12 to 24 volt converter, and plug into the van battery.
The best thing to do with that is to reduce the height. A big job but once it's done it'll be far more manageable.
👍
That looks like a job that is hard on the arms. That reaching out over the top would have my back in agony, so well done to you for being able to do it. But may I ask you a question? Why do you want it so high? A 6 or 8 foot hedge would give you plenty of privacy and would be easier to maintain? Just wondering ...
Thanks Mike, the hedge was that height when I bought the property and so I just maintain it at that height.
Thanks for the comment
Another good video, thanks for uploading
Nice platform. I hate big hedges, I've got one job this week to cut a huge lawn (easy), a very large pressure wash (easy) and cut a huge hedge with horrible access over some steep steps, not sure how I'm going to do it yet 😅
I have an Erbaeur long reach hedge cut which works well and the battery lasts for ages but you have be like Thor to lift the bloody thing for more than ten minutes at a time, might be trading that in for something a bit better and lighter, what's your current cordless trimmer?
I have a Flymo, it's a good trimmer for the money.
I also have a long reach Titan, but it is corded and it can be difficult to hold!
@@ultimatehandyman okay thanks 👍
That battery hedger would be too heavy for me to hold in extended modes.
But I liked your tethered battery pack.
Why do many pros want to pollute the air using gas Zero Turn & Saw, don't we pollute the air much when using our vehicles to go to/from work?
Nevertheless, nice tips & video.
I think the Pro's have to use the petrol versions as there are no battery versions as yet that have the same power or run time- unless you have a real lot of batteries.
Thanks for the comment
Ultimate Handyman Exactly that, my stihl weights 11kilo with fuel in but I dont have to do 3 passes to get a clean tight cut. I also found I was swinging the less powerful electric versions which actually is more damaging than holding a heavier machine. All the best
I never tried its but what about laying a big sheet (plastic, can't remember the name) in front of the hedge so after you cut you can fold it together and collect all the branches
It's a good idea to do that if you have a gravel drive, but with mine being concrete it is very easy to clean up and can be done with a brush and shovel of a leaf blower.
Thanks for the comment
With all that climbing is so should be a Sherpa van bud 👍🤓👍
LOL, thanks for the comment Wayne ;-)
Alternatively, keep your hedges small and manageable and learn to see its maintenance as therapeutic activity every month in the summer and autumn months.
Alternatively - put up a fence 😉
Thanks for the comment 👍
Ours if 4 foot high. It's bloody staying that way! Ha ha at least you have a decent gaff. Looks Appley Bridge way?
4 foot sounds manageable ;-)
I live in Darwen, Lancs
Thanks for the comment
Great how to video. How tall are you?
5' 11"
Thanks for the comment ;-)
talking of dangerous on large thick hedges like yew we just used to put a plank/ladder flat on top of the hedge [spreads the weight] and walked on that.
If those hedges yours you could cut those in half to reduce the height?
Blimey, I don't fancy walking on the top of the hedges!
They are fine as they are, one day I'll sell up and move on and someone else can trim them ;-)
nothing like a well trimmed bush ;-)
LOL
I keep tellin wife that but she never listens.
Hi could you do a review of your electric hedge trimmer ? i'm looking at getting one myself to replace the petrol one i have at the moment.
I will when I get chance.
Mine is a Flymo 24V but the battery has to be worn via a strap as it is quite heavy.
I'm thinking of getting a Dewalt next as I have plenty of their batteries.
I'll try and do a comparison between the three hedge trimmers that I currently own when I get chance ;-)
Thanks for the comment
Excellent, I've actually been looking at a Flymo cordless trimmer but was't sure if it would be powerful enough. I have a conifer hedge which can be quite hard to cut. Hence having a petrol trimmer the same as the one your using.
Hi. My Father in law has a hedge about the same size as yours but it goes around the back and is considerably longer. His is a privet hedge but yours seems to be something else, could you tell me what type of hedge it is.
Hi John, I don't have a clue what type of hedge it is.
There seems to be several different types of bush growing but I have not tried identifying any of them.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
It's a garden hedge. Hope this helps.
How much did you charge ? I did something similar for 550
This is my own house, so it was a labour of love.
550 what ? US$,UK£, Euro etc.
Thanks for the comment
I've got a laurel hedge at the front and back. It's a pain in the arse.
Unless you like gardening (and have lots of spare time), all hedges are a pain in the arse.
I now get someone to cut mine for me ;-)
Thanks for the comment
what cordless hedge trimmer did you use and how long did it run for
Its a Flymo Sabre cut 24V, not sure about the run time but I can normally easily cut the whole front of the hedge from a single charge, plus some of the top. I have just checked ebay and they only seem to sell the 18v version now.
I don't think the battery on mine lasts as long now as it did when I first bought it.
Thanks for the comment
thanks for that
You are welcome ;-)
why dont you cut it lower to a more manageable height?
I just keep it at the height it was at when we moved in.
+UltimateHandyman I saw one of your stickers on LAura Kampfs Channel is there any possible way of me getting hold of one??
If you send me a message with your address I will send you one ;-)
Thanks for the comment
how did you create your intro sequence?
A guy on people per hour made it for me, I think he was called Seb Malley
thanks man
About the ad at the beginning of this video: Purina Puppy food is crap. Read the ingredients, then compare the ingredients to ethical companies. Notice the difference in the odors, also.
more hassle than its worth, needs to be lowered, how would something like this be lets say cut down to 6ft height?
The problem is that the neighbours drive slopes upwards, so the hedge might be 15 feet high at my site, but only 8 feet high at their side.
Buy a second replacement battery. Batteries are also very toxic.
The battery is pretty good to be honest, it has lasted several years- so far!
Thanks for the comment 👍🏼
Set alight to it
That might not go down too well with the neighbours ;-)
Yeah we know how to use a lift in easy to reach place, how about the yards you can't use your van?
You can get an orchard ladder (three leg ladder), but they are expensive!
Rip it out and put a fence in. Not being funny or anything but your not going be young forever. Its only going to get harder.
Thanks Phil, the problem is that with a fence you would not get one this high without getting objections from the local council and neighbours etc.
I did mention to one neighbour about replacing the hedge at the back with a fence and they were not happy about it as birds nest in the hedge.
I'd choose a fence any day ;-)
Thanks for the comment
It'd take some ripping. I've a 7' privet hedge alongside the house which adjoins a field. I keep my side and top reasonably well trimmed, t'other side I leave to nature.
A hedge that thick & tall blocks too much light & physical space... & so much maintenance!
That's true.
It would probably be easier to move though than try and remove it and replace it with something else.
Thanks for the comment
or you get someone else to cut it ?
And pay them £200-£300 ;-)
looks a nightmare of a job !!!
Absolutely.
Thanks for the comment
Did I just see you break out in sweat there old chap!! Mate, I bought one of these Petrol Trimmers right? And it weighs a fucking TON!! And there's a certain angle where the thing just cuts out!! I gotta go round me mums who has 120 bloody metres of the stuff :'( I'd rather take a K'nick to the K'nackeres.
Yeah, it's normally a warm day when I trim it.
Mine is pretty light weight, it is not a branded machine and was less than £100 at auction with a chainsaw attachment and strimmer/brush cutter attachment.
I think a kick to the knackers sounds better than having to trim a hedge ;-)
Thanks for the comment ;-)
That hedge I reckon is 5 foot wide. This is ridiculous, it is much much too wide.
Nothing to do with you the gardener
Yeah, it’s a PITA to trim 👍
Nope. You cut into the Leylandii part too deeply - no dormant buds there and will die and go brown.
I'd love to be able to drive a van down every garden - there are far easier and cheaper ways to do that top..
Well a couple of years down the line and it's still standing- and still growing ;-)
Thanks for the comment
Make it lower
no way, i prefer the gallon of petrol method
Is that where you pour a gallon of petrol on the hedge and set it on fire ;-)
yep, saves a lot of work !
U trim it....
Yes, every September ;-)
Ultimate Handyman u just need a pair of sheers the trick is to keep on top of it!. :)
It's never been easy getting her to trim her large hedge and this video only goes to show that..
and here i am using a flymo to cut a hedge :| .............
Horrible monstrosity.