All the leaves are down but the sky isn’t grey! Although it is late November, looking out it seems more like a mid October day, with clear sky and beautiful autumn colours still showing.
As the leaves fall it is a great time to assess your trees and shrubs. Here at Chopwell we are busy helping our clients cutting hedges, trees and shrubs.
Does my hedge need cutting?
You would expect us to say yes. But. How much is the question? A typical hedge will grow upwards between 5 and 30 cm a year depending on the species. It may also grow out that much too. So while you might want the privacy the hedge height gives you, you may not want it encroaching on your precious garden and growing areas.
Perfect hedge shape
A perfect hedge is wider at the base and tapers up to the top. This allows all parts of the hedge to get light and water to make it look its best. Ideally, the taller the hedge the wider the base to keep the slight angle. The amount of taper does depend on the type of hedge, so talk to Chopwell if you think your hedge needs reshaping.
If your hedge is straight up and down, you may find over time the base of the hedge gets thin with fewer smaller leaves or even bare branches that can be very unsightly. If you think your hedge is at risk of die back in the lower parts, contact us. We can advise and reshape your hedge to get it growing strongly again. Sometimes this is a 2 or 3 year project, the investment of time produce results.
Recycling leaves
If you have a green bin permit the easy solution is to gather up leaves and put them in the bin, but you are wasting a fabulous garden resource. Leaf mold, is simple to make. It is great to dig into flower beds to help improve the soil structure of our Warwickshire clay. Simply gather up out leaves and put in plastic bags, tie up the tops to stop the leaves escaping punch a few air holes and wait 18 months.
If all this seems like hard work, call us, we can tidy your garden for winter.
