When Should I Trim My Hedges in Ottawa, ON?
When should I trim my hedges in Ottawa, ON? This is a great question! Cedar hedges, like all other plants, go through different growth cycles at certain times of the year. Specific periods in this cycle allow for optimal trimming zones, but they can be often be difficult to detect. In Ottawa, we're faced with chilly winters and hot summers, so choosing the best time for hedge maintenance is quite important! Let's talk about it a little more.
Choosing the Right Time to Trim
Fortunately, cedar hedges are tough customers, leaving the chance to permanently damage them to a minimum. In fact, if properly cared for, they can live anywhere from 60-80 years! However, this doesn't mean that consistent and healthy maintenance isn't as important to cedars as it might be with other garden plants. Though hardy, these hedges can be dramatic. If cut during the incorrect time of year, an array of brown and orange branches can be seen, leaving your once picturesque hedge looking dusty and diseased. So, when is the best time to trim?
I'll come out and say it: late Spring and early Fall are the best times to trim your hedge. Why? These periods catch the hedge during the strongest parts of its growth cycle, allowing for a quick recovery and bright green branches to shine through afterwards.
During the winter months, especially in Ottawa, hedges enter a "dormant" period where they essentially hibernate and rarely contribute new growth. Cutting during this time can potentially damage or kill the tree by exposing it to harsh frost on the newly trimmed branches. Vice versa, during the summer, a heavy trim can expose the vulnerable branches to bake in the extreme heat, leading to brown and orange foliage. Thus, finding an optimal zone without harsh temperatures allows the hedge to quickly recover from a trim, giving it that "bouncy" look. For even more info on hedge maintenance and timing in Ottawa, check out this thorough research paper from the Government of Canada's website here.
How Many Trims per Year?
On top of finding the right time to trim, it is also important to schedule maintenance multiple times per year. Leaving hedges unattended for years can result in thick branches, uneven growth, and very tall heights, all making it harder to care for in the future and very expensive trimming costs. Not to mention, it looks terrible! Here is an example from a customer who recently purchased a house where the previous owners left their cedar hedge without maintenance for years. Long, hanging branches and pesky vines begin to grow, leaving it looking disheveled and unkept. Check it out below!
Trimming at least twice per year promotes full and lush growth, manages branch size/height, and creates a staple piece for your lawn, rather than an unorganized mess. See below for a hedge that I'm particularly proud of.
Through Ottawa Student Hedge Care, you can get your hedge under control and looking like the bottom photo ASAP! We specialize in targeted hedge maintenance at the best times of the year, while committing to a routine trimming schedule for a healthy, happy hedge. Be sure to request a free estimate to get in contact with me or one of our hedge-experts.