Green Landscaping and Gardening - Hedge trimming

Hello everyone:

I have a cedar hedge that has gotten wider than I would like and was wondering if I could just take a chain saw and cut 12" off each side without killing it, I am thinking about cutting it at the base not trimming the sides.

thanks in advance
Jim

Hi Jim,

It sounds like you want to hard prune your cedar hedge. Unfortunately cedar does not do well when hard pruned. If you prune into wood where there is no green, you will end up with brown stumps. Are you saying you want to cut them down to 12" high? At this site Arborvitae is a cedar.
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/frederick/2003/prune_evergreen.htm

Newt

Hello Neut:
I was hoping to narrow the hedge by 12 inches on each side as I can barley reach the center from 1 side when I am trimming...looks like I am not going to be able to trim it back, perhaps I can find a trimmer on a pole so I don't have to reach so far into the hedge.
Thanks for your reply and the link.
Jim

Jim, you are very welcome! I'm trying to visualize your hedge. It sounds like the cedars have not grown together and there are spaces between them. Am I correct? Do you have any pictures?

When pruning a hedge be sure to have the bottom a bit wider then the top so sunlight will get to the lower branches. Here's how to prune a hedge. At this first site look at their page 10 and figure 15. The second and third links have videos.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-4.pdf
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/pruning_prunehedges1.shtml
http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/videos/trim-hedge-with-straight-edges.aspx

Newt

No there are no spaces between the trees the hedge is approx 150 feet long 7 feet tall and 6 feet wide...I have to go away for a couple days but will post a pic when I get back.
Thanks again
Jim

Jim, have a great trip. I look forward to the pics.

Newt