Transform overgrown, uneven hedges into crisp, beautiful landscape features with expert hedge shaping. Serving Ellicott City, Columbia, and Howard County since 1986.
Most hedges benefit from 2-3 shapings per year: late spring after new growth hardens, mid-summer to maintain shape, and early fall for winter prep. Flowering hedges require timing around bloom cycles—call for a custom schedule!
Professional hedge shaping transforms your landscape
Call 410-992-8680Hedges define property lines, create privacy screens, frame entryways, and add formal structure to gardens. But they require regular, skilled shaping to look their best and stay healthy. Without proper maintenance, hedges quickly become overgrown, uneven, and bare at the bottom.
Evaluate condition, species, growth rate, and your goals. Identify health issues, bare areas, structural problems. Discuss preferred height, width, and style.
Schedule based on species and growth pattern. Fast growers like privet need 3-4 shapings; slow boxwood needs 1-2. Flowering hedges shaped around bloom cycles.
Critical technique: shape slightly wider at bottom than top (tapered profile). Allows sunlight to reach lower branches, preventing bare-bottom problems. Guide strings and levels ensure perfect geometry on formal hedges.
Thin hedge interiors to improve air circulation and light penetration. Remove dead wood, crossing branches, damaged or diseased material. Often neglected but essential for long-term health.
All clippings collected and removed. Surrounding areas blown clean. Property looks immaculate when finished.
Classic formal hedge. Slow-growing, fine-textured. Shaped 1-2 times yearly. Tolerates heavy trimming and recovers well from size reduction.
Fast-growing, popular in older neighborhoods. Needs 3-4 shapings per season. Responds well to aggressive shaping and fills in quickly after trimming.
Excellent evergreen hedge. Formal or informal shapes. Shape 1-2 times yearly. Avoid shaping during berry development to preserve winter berries.
Extremely popular for privacy. Can reach 20-30 feet uncontrolled. Shape 1-2 times yearly. Proper shaping prevents bare interiors.
Grows 3-4 feet per year when young. Requires aggressive, regular shaping. Shape at least once annually, often twice for younger plants.
Best for formal shaping—tolerates severe pruning and regenerates from old wood. Shape 1-2 times yearly. Tight formal or relaxed informal styles.
Geometric precision—flat tops, smooth vertical sides, crisp edges. Guide strings and levels ensure perfect geometry. Requires 2-3 shapings yearly. Best with boxwood, yew, privet. Ideal for traditional landscapes and architectural gardens.
Controlled size and fullness while preserving natural growth habit. Softer, more organic lines. Requires less frequent maintenance—1-2 shapings yearly. Best with arborvitae, holly, flowering shrubs. Popular for privacy screens and naturalistic landscapes.
Crisp, uniform hedges signal attention to detail. Professional shaping transforms your landscape's overall impression.
Tapered shaping and selective thinning ensure light reaches all parts. Full, thick growth effectively screens views and reduces noise.
Prevents encroachment on driveways, walkways, and neighbors. Especially important in Howard County's suburban neighborhoods.
Light and air circulation reduce disease and pest problems. Interior thinning removes deadwood that can harbor issues.
Regular shaping helps hedges thrive for decades. Neglected hedges often require costly complete removal and replacement.
Frequency depends on species and growth rate. Fast growers like privet need 3-4 shapings per season. Moderate growers like arborvitae and holly need 1-2 annually. Slow-growing boxwood often needs just 1-2 per year. Most Ellicott City and Columbia properties benefit from at least 2 annual shapings to maintain neat, healthy hedges.
Yes, but the approach depends on species. Yew, boxwood, and privet tolerate severe renovation and regenerate from old wood—recovery takes 1-2 seasons. Leyland cypress and arborvitae won't regenerate from bare wood, so replacement may be necessary if severely overgrown. For moderately overgrown hedges, we use gradual reduction over 2-3 seasons, keeping hedges attractive during recovery.
Bare bottoms develop when tops shade lower branches, preventing photosynthesis. Common in hedges shaped with vertical sides or wider tops than bottoms. The solution is proper taper—wider at bottom than top. When we shape your hedge, we always create this slight taper, critical for plant health. For hedges that already have bare bottoms, solutions depend on species—some regenerate from old wood, others don't.
For most evergreen hedges, late spring (May-June) after new growth hardens is optimal for the first shaping. A second shaping in mid to late summer (July-August) maintains shape through fall. Avoid shaping after early September—late-season cutting stimulates growth that won't harden before winter freeze. Flowering hedges need different timing based on bloom cycle.
Transform overgrown hedges into beautiful landscape features with professional shaping from Greenlawn Inc. Whether you have formal boxwood borders or massive privacy screens, our 39 years of experience ensures beautiful results. Complete cleanup included on every visit.
Expert crews • Complete cleanup • Beautiful results
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