Hedge cutting in Dublin

A hedge that's cut once or twice a year stays thick and tidy. One that's been left for a few years, especially leylandii, can need reducing in height and width, which takes longer and makes more waste to take away.

Leylandii doesn't grow back from bare brown wood, so cutting too hard into the sides can leave permanent gaps. It's often better to reduce an overgrown leylandii hedge gradually over two seasons.

Under the Wildlife Act, hedges on uncultivated land generally can't be cut from 1 March to 31 August, during the nesting season, with some exceptions such as road safety. Garden hedges are treated differently, but it's still worth checking for nests before cutting.