Hedge Rejuvenation
Hedge rejuvenation is like a kitchen remodel for your hedges—it’s a drastic, but sometimes necessary, method of overhauling old shrubs that have become overgrown and unwieldy. This process involves reducing the size of overgrown shrubs to maintain aesthetics, improve light penetration, and promote healthy growth.
As with any major corrective action taken in your landscape, it’s essential to have a landscape professional plan and perform these procedures. Improper pruning can cause irreparable damage to the plant.
Why Do We Perform Hedge Rejuvenations?
Hedge rejuvenations are typically performed when hedges have become unwieldy as a result of unchecked growth. The main reasons for undertaking a hedge rejuvenation are:
- To reduce the size of overgrown trees and shrubs that have outgrown their space, blocking sidewalks, windows, driveways, or other features.
- To improve light penetration inside the “shell” of the hedge by removing dense branches and promoting new growth.
- To restore a natural form to shrubs that have been pruned into formal geometric shapes (topiary).
How Are Hedge Rejuvenations Performed?
The hedge rejuvenation process involves several key steps. First, your arborist will identify the basic limb framework of the shrub or tree. Then, we will prune out and remove excess branches to create holes and allow more light in. A moderate amount (about one-third to one-half) of old growth is removed each year for 2–3 years, with a focus on thinning density and reducing size.
Due to the drastic nature of this process, hedge rejuvenations are typically performed over the course of several years in order to maintain aesthetics while promoting healthy growth. After rejuvenation, the hedges will be stronger, more appealing, and more manageable.
