How to prune a yew hedge

Then, once established and clipped twice a year, the top and sides should develop a solid ‘surface’ composed of the bases of these shoots, covered with masses of new buds that will quickly cover the hedge in more new shoots.

Clipping a hedge involves using secateurs, shears or a powered hedge trimmer to cut back new growth, usually when it's 10-15cm long. The soft clippings are high in nitrogen, so they'll decompose rapidly on the compost heap. Lay sacking or thin tarpaulin along the base of the hedge to catch everything you cut and make clearing up easier.

Check carefully for nesting birds before you start clipping. If birds are in residence, avoid trimming the hedge until the birds have departed. It's illegal to destroy a nest during breeding season – usually from March to August.

Learn the correct technique for pruning a yew hedge, below.

You Will Need

• Bamboo canes
• String or twine
• Hedgetrimmers or hand shears

Step 1

Keeping the top of a hedge level during clipping can be tricky, so install a guide line. Assess how much you want to trim from the top, and start by pushing tall canes down through the front edge and into the ground. Position them at regular intervals along the length of your hedge, with each one at the same height.

Step 2

Tie twine to the end cane at the level you want to cut to, then unravel the twine along the hedge. Tie at intervals to each cane. Check the level. You may want to slope the top to follow a slope in the ground, or use a spirit level to position the string height.

Step 3

Trim the top first, using the twine line as a guide. Sharp shears will cut through the young stems, but don’t strain the blades on large clumps of shoots. Hold the handles at the same height as one another and clip together briskly to get a clean cut.

Step 4

With the top trimmed, clip the side from one end. Start at the top edge, in line with the twine guide and gradually work down. Move slowly, working to the guide line. Step back and look along its length to check you are clipping a flat surface.

Step 5

Pull out any pieces of trimmed material from the top and sides, as they will dry out and turn brown after a couple of weeks. Give the hedge a once-over and clip off any bits sticking up. Gather all the clippings in the sacking or tarpaulin you’ve laid down.

More hedges to clip in this way

• Berberis
• Box
• Cotoneaster
• Escallonia
• Euonymus japonicus
• Holly
• Lonicera nitida
• Privet
• Pyracantha
• Viburnum tinus
• Western red cedar (Thuja plicata)