this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2026
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Gardening
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You can use pruning shears or trimming shears or electric hedge trimmers. Always wear goggles, a mask or bandana over your mouth is also recommended.
Beyond all the leaves is a section of barren stems, if you go that deep then you've gone too far. You want it to be wide in equal directions from its base. Hedges can be trimmed any time of year if they get enough water, even if they become stressed they can usually bounce back all on their own after a period of dormancy.
The bottom covers the bushes around it. Should I let it, or clear out the bottom forcing the tree to only grow upwards not downwards?
You clearly don't need help getting that plant to grow upwards lol, but if you want to thin the overcrowding for aesthetic purposes, snip a few of the offending branches at their base with loppers to make room for the bushes, starting small and snipping a few more every time you trim until you're happy :).
While it could certainly use a trim-up and some cleared avenues for maintenance, it's a lovely garden bed and you don't need to overthink it.