{"id":611969007942,"date":"2025-10-16T16:35:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T16:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ashridgetrees.co.uk\/blogs\/uncategorized\/cut-hedges-in-october\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T08:42:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T08:42:01","slug":"cut-hedges-in-october","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ashridgetrees.co.uk\/blogs\/hedging\/cut-hedges-in-october\/","title":{"rendered":"Cut Hedges in October"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cut cut cut: that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about being a hedge owner. <\/p>

With a typical hedge plant<\/a> such as Hawthorn<\/a>, Beech<\/a>, or Yew<\/a>, you are fundamentally maintaining a plant that wants to be a tree as a bushy shrub by cutting it regularly. <\/p>

One of the most common questions we get asked is when<\/strong> to cut a hedge, and the answer is usually \u201cwhen you have time, mate\u201d.
The most important thing, as the expression goes, is \u201cnot when you prune, but that you prune\u201d. <\/p>

Cutting a hedge is what keeps it lush, and if you wanted to, you could trim it every time its shoots extend a centimetre or two past the line you are maintaining. <\/p>

That is a bit too much work for most people, but the more you trim, the easier it is all round.
When an overgrown old hedge gets pruned, there are big woody stems to tidy up and either burn or chip.
The soft clippings from a regularly trimmed hedge, however, are easy to dispose of as mulch or compost. 2-3 times per year is great for most hedges, slower species like mature Yew are fine with 1-2 times per year.<\/p>

The main exception is cutting a new hedge<\/a>, which you want to grow as fast as possible. Cutting a new hedge in the \u201cwrong season\u201d won\u2019t hurt, but it can slow them down more than you would like. <\/p>

OK Thanks: Is October a Good Month for Cutting Hedges?<\/h4>

Yes, October is a great month for cutting most hedges, old and new. They are winding down for the year and storing energy in their roots, and deciduous species are dropping their leaves by the end of the month. Depending on how you dispose of your green waste, it may be more convenient to trim with or without leaves on the branches: the latter is ideal for new hedges.<\/p>

The only hedges we don\u2019t recommend cutting in October are: <\/p>