Customers often ask me if there’s a single time of year when you can prune any hedge. The honest answer: no. A privet grows twice as fast as a yew, and a laurel reacts differently than a hornbeam. Below is how I handle it myself for each species.

Beech and hornbeam

I prune beech and hornbeam once a year, in late June or early July, right after St. John’s Day. Do you have a very neat garden and want the hedge to stay neat? Then you can give it a light second pruning in September to trim back the shoots.

Privet

Privet grows so fast that trimming it just once a year simply isn’t enough. I always trim it at least twice: once in May or June, and again in August or September. If you don’t, you’ll lose that neat shape before you know it.

Yew

Yew is my favorite low-maintenance species. Pruning it once a year in August is enough. And here’s a handy tip: yew even sprouts new growth from old wood, so if it ever gets too big, you can go ahead and cut it back quite a bit.

Bay Leaf

When pruning bay laurel, always use regular pruning shears, not hedge trimmers. Otherwise, you’ll cut through half the leaves, and they’ll turn brown. That doesn’t look good. Prune in May, and again in September if necessary.

Boxwood and Alternatives

I prune boxwood between May and September. It’s best to do this on a cloudy day, because the young leaves burn easily in full sun. Are you having trouble with box tree moths or boxwood blight? If so, I’d really recommend switching to Ilex crenata, another attractive small-leaved plant that you prune during the same period.

What I always remember

Never prune in the middle of the day when the sun is at its strongest.
Clean your tools first.
Trim the hedge so that it tapers slightly—wider at the bottom than at the top—so that the lower branches also get some sunlight.
Clean up the pruning debris right away. Moldy leaves at the base of the plant can spread disease.

Following this schedule will keep your hedge healthy and neat for years to come. And if you're unsure about the right time for your specific type of hedge, just send me a message. I'd be happy to help.