House and garden
Trimming hedges in autumn: these tips will save you time and trouble
Trimming hedges, but doing it correctly: In Germany, pruning is only allowed between October and February.
© Thomas-Soellner / Getty Images
Trimming hedges is the small art of gardeners and homeowners. Privet and Co. are privacy screens but also the habitat of many animals. You can read the most important rules and which hedge trimmers are best for pruning in this article.
Hedges serve property owners as a privacy screen from curious passers-by. In most allotment garden settlements, they limit the paths and visually enhance each individual parcel. In landscape parks, too, the densely growing shrubs primarily set visual accents. But hedges are not a chic substitute for fences, they serve as a habitat for many animals. Because of this, there are a few things to keep in mind when cutting hedge. In the following article you can find out what these are, when hedge trimming is strictly prohibited and why hedges in allotment gardens are not allowed to exceed a certain height.
1. When can I cut my hedge?
House owners and allotment gardeners in Germany are only allowed to cut their hedge without restrictions from October 1st to the end of February. The reason: Between March and September, some native bird species use the densely growing hedge plants as protection in order to first build a nest undisturbed by humans and predators and later raise their young in it. The blocking times can be found in Section 39 (5) of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG). Accordingly, it is strictly forbidden to close the hedge with a Hedge trimmer “To put on the stick” – that is, to prune them to about 20 centimeters above the ground. Birds and other animals that have sought refuge in this hedge would have to find a new home in this case.
2. Cutting the hedge: What shears are there?
Hedges are usually cut with hedge trimmers. The fastest and most efficient way to do this is with the electric version. A little more practical, but also a few euros more expensive, are models that are powered by a battery. It is usually not included in the scope of delivery of the hedge trimmer, nor is the matching charger. If you have no problem with cable clutter and a power connection, you can confidently use the wired and slightly cheaper version. There’s a cable model from Bosch here. Hedge trimming with a classic hedge trimmer is much more laborious and time-consuming. In return, you do something for the beach figure at the same time. Thanks to the serrated edge, you can work a little more precisely than with the electric models. In addition, the “old-school” hedge shears have the great advantage that they can also be used on Sundays without hesitation. A classic hedge trimmer from Gardena is available here.
A current one Hedge trimmers comparison read here.
3. Which plants are suitable as hedge plants?
The following six hedge plants are most common in Germany:
- Black-green privet (Ligustrum vulgare)
- Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
- Yew tree (Taxus baccata)
- False cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
- Occidental tree of life (Thuja occidentalis)
- Evergreen holly (Ilex aquifolium)
4. How high can a hedge actually be?
Property owners, especially those who live directly on a street, use hedges primarily as a privacy screen. The motto: the higher the better. Because who likes to look at the plate at Sunday breakfast? Allotment gardeners, on the other hand, cannot let their hedge sprout at their own discretion. According to the official garden regulations, the privacy screen in allotment gardens must not be higher than 1.50 meters. In some cases only 1.10 meters are allowed for the so-called external fences. Exceptions apply to hedges on busy streets or parking lots. In case of doubt, a look at the statutes of the allotment garden association helps. Why is the height of the hedges regulated? Parcels in allotment garden associations are usually leased comparatively cheaply. They are considered to be green spaces that are accessible to the general public. That does not mean that there is free access for everyone, but a clear view should be guaranteed – even for small people. The premise: everyone should be able to see the flowering fruit trees, accurately laid out borders and the vegetables grown.
5. Cutting the hedge: What else has to be considered?
Many allotment gardeners spend a lot of time looking after their hedges. However, only a few take an important principle to heart. Because hedges should be cut conically, i.e. narrower towards the bottom. The reason is very simple. The lower branches get significantly less light with a straight cut. In the worst case, they will go bald or wither. Therefore, the base of each hedge should be about 8 to 12 inches wider than the top. Apply a layer of mulch to the soil under the hedge. This benefits the nutrient balance and pleases numerous microorganisms.
Sources: “My beautiful garden”
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