Hedges are solid natural barriers that you can plant around your house for aesthetic or functional purposes. You can prune them into different shapes to make as creative looking boundaries for your garden, or construct them into thick, tall walls to block people from peeking into your home. Trimming your hedges right will define the shape of your bushes. There's a way to shorten the branches of your hedges in specific ways that will foster how neat or well-shaped they will be throughout their growing process.

Train Growth

Mold it from the beginning. Plant multistemmed hedges that are 1 to 2 feet high in a straight line around your house or garden. Cut off about 1/3 of the bush with traditional hedge shears, that look like giant scissors. This encourages the growth of low branches, making your hedge grow thick and healthy around the bottom area, as well as the top.

Prune Branches

Trim off half of the new growth in a year, so that more branching will continue. Trim the bush again--cutting off half the growth--after another year has gone by too. Snip off all dead and diseased branches by cutting them off right at the stem. Wait for another year for the branches to grow fuller than before. Keep pruning until the hedge looks like it's growing full and green.

Shape Body

Shape it after the third year of the hedge's growth. Trim it to it's natural growth form, with a perfectly flat top and vertical sides. Make the hedge a little curved or slanted by rounding off the top. Form and shape the sides by creating a larger base that slants inward to a more narrowed top. This design helps the sunlight hit all areas of your growing hedge.

Keep Healthy

Wait for the hedge to finally reach its desired dimensions. Trim it closely after that, so the shape of it won't ever turn irregular and so that it receives the right sunlight in all places. Prune it when you spot dead branches or diseased leaves. Hedges grow slowly throughout the year so be patient. If the bush is still not shaping nicely or still appears to be unhealthy, you may have to replace it in the end.

Source:

Fine Gardening

Oregon State University

Garden Guides

More Information:

Texas Agricultural Extension Service

The University of Arizona