If, like me, you have a hedge that is past its best and is now more hedera helix (ivy) than hawthorn you have probably considered pulling it all out and starting again.

This, of course, is one option but can be costly so perhaps first, an attempt to renovate or hard prune it?

Many hedges respond well to renovation, deciduous now in the winter when dormant and leafless (ie. Beech; Hornbeam & Hawthorn) and evergreen in the summer when all risk of frost has passed (ie. Privet; Yew; Leyland Cypress & Laurel).

I feel I owe it to my hedge to see if I can restore it to some of it’s former glory and weighing up the cost of a bit of time and effort versus new hedging it has got to be worth a try.

Firstly, to avoid getting in trouble, we need to check if there are any birds nesting as under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to destroy the nest of a wild bird either in use or being built.

Then, as with all pruning, remove dead, damaged and diseased branches cutting back to healthy wood.

For branches that are too thick for secateurs use loppers to prune side branches that are hard to reach or a pruning saw if above head height. Eye protection is recommended for this job.

If your preference is for a horizontal top to your hedge, attach a taut string to two secured posts as a guide; it is advisable to make the base wider than the top to protect against the effects of wind and snow.

Access the top of the hedge with a platform-style ladder, using a pruning saw to cut thick branches, starting with the closest to you.

You can reduce the height and width by as much as 50% in one go but any more should be spread out gradually over three years as follows:

Year 1: the width on one side of the hedge can be cut to at least 15cm less than the final desired width or almost to the main stem if necessary. Trim the other side of the hedge lightly as you normally would. Leave the height for this first years cut. Mulch & feed in spring to help re-growth.

Year 2: cut back the other side of the hedge, as much as you did with the previous side. Leave the height unaltered again. Mulch & feed again in spring.

Year 3: cut the height of the hedge to the desired height. Mulch & feed to encourage vigorous re-growth.

The hedge may look a bit skeletal but it will soon spring back to life.