Struggling with an uneven hedge? In this video, I’ll show you how to level a hedge, even if it’s wildly uneven! Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned UK gardener, these practical tips and techniques will help you achieve clean, straight lines every time.
✅ Tools I used – Stihl hs82rs & hsa 140t
✅ Common mistakes to avoid
✅ Step-by-step hedge trimming guide
Amazon links below for what i think are some good, must have handtools & also some other things i own or regularly purchase myself from Amazon.
I receive a small commission on any purchases made through the links and its massively appreciated if you choose to do so
Bluetooth Ear Defenders – https://amzn.to/4fGxdMd
Bulk bags – https://amzn.to/3JlnHSY
Kebtek Cordless Pruning Shears – https://amzn.to/3JAv5JY
Spade – https://amzn.to/45EZxdB
Fork – https://amzn.to/3HFpdi7
Trowel set – https://amzn.to/419cta2
Secateurs – https://amzn.to/3JmDuka
Hand Shears – https://amzn.to/3UxiY2I
Metal Fuel Can – https://amzn.to/4lx9T5a
Ladders – https://amzn.to/4o35wjL
Likes/comments/shares/subscribes are really appreciated.
The support on my channel so far has been truly amazing so thank you!
Contact email – glossopgardening@hotmail.com
Thanks for watching 🙏
#HedgeTrimming #UKGardener #GardeningTips #HowToLevelAHedge #HedgeCutting #GardenMaintenance #DIYGardening #LawnAndGarden
How’s it going everyone? Welcome back to the channel and I’ll just give you a quick brief on the job today. It’s just a small privet and top of the privet. It’s not very uniform. So, the customer just wants it leveling off really. So, it’s pretty simple and I’m just going to talk you through how I do it. There’s there’s so many ways to do it, but this is how I did it on this job. And the video I’ll just be setting the camera up and then I’ll probably just do a voice over. We’ll see how it goes. If if you don’t like it, just let me know and I’ll come up with another way. But yeah, it was just I was pretty strapped for time today. So, I just wanted to set the camera up, get it filming, get the job done, and get out of there. And then, yeah, I’ll just do a voice over. Thought I’ll get to the job and yeah, I’ll talk you through how I do it. And as well as the other options that can be used to do it. equipment I’ll be using today is the HS 82 RC and I’ll briefly be using the 140TS just to side it up just to give the side a little tidy. It’s not part of the job but I’m just going to include that uh in the job cuz it takes two seconds. Yeah, let’s get to the job uh and we’ll talk through it and then I’ll probably have a chat in the van afterwards. So, all I’m doing here is just quickly going over the side with the 140 TS just to tidy it up. Like I said, the job is to level off the top and make it easier for the customer to maintain going forward. So, just siding it up. This is a little freebie. It takes two seconds. There’s not much to it. So, I’ve switched over to the HS82 RC now. And what I’ve done is I’ve started on the right hand side, which is sort of the lowest point of the hedge. Me and the customer agreed that that level will be fine. So, I’ve got the hedge cutters. The hedge cutters when I started were about shoulder height. And when I’m dragging it through to take the bulk off like I’m doing now, I’m keeping those hedge cutters at shoulder height. they’re not dropping down to sort of sternum level because then you’re going to end up with like a wavy hedge. You need to basically lock the position and drag it through so you get like a a straight line basically. But what I’ll do is I’ll take all the the bulk that I’ve chopped. I’ll take that off now and then I’ll start again on the right hand side and I’ll go over it again just to tidy it up. Check I’m happy with it. Yeah. just sort of rub along the top and neaten it up a little bit. So, I’ll let the video play and we’ll see we’ll see me do that. Basically, sorry, but that sped up sound of the hedge cutters going is really, really annoying. So, let’s just bask in a bit of silence for a minute. [Music] Just quickly, another couple of options you’ve got for getting your line in at the top is a string line. So, a stick either side, slightly longer than the hedge, and then you’d run a string between the two sticks for the height you want. And yeah, just follow that line. Or you could crack out a long spirit level, but you may get some funny looks from some passes by. So yeah, there’s another couple of options for you. One’s better than the other. [Music] So I cave in at this point and get the stepladders out because after holding them hedge at shoulder height for a decent amount of time, my shoulders are just burning. And the whole time my inner voice is usually Arnold Schwarzenegger. So all that was being said in my head while my shoulders were on fire was got mine. And yeah, just on repeat. That’s my best Annie impression. So I hope you like it. [Music] [Applause] [Music] So, cleanup was an absolute breeze on this job. thanks to the sheets that some of you will be happy to see. Um, so I just rolled these up, chucked them in the van, so I was taking waste away and then I had a quick blow through and then yeah, you can see some little straggly bits of privet coming through the wooden boards at the bottom. Quickly snip those out with my seitars because I won’t be able to sleep at night if I leave them. And we’re all done. Jobs are good. And yeah, that was the job. Um, that’s how I do most of them. Like I said, I’ll probably say in the video, there’s other ways of doing it, like the string method, running a string from end to end. Uh, and that’s that’s a pretty good way of doing it. But yeah, a lot of the time I’ll tend to just like eyeball it and it it looks pretty good. Like I said in the video, I’ll use my body as sort of a guide if it’s on flat ground. So, where I start, where I’m holding the hedge cutter. That sun’s a bit annoying. So, I’m going to try and move the van. So, yeah, when it’s a hedge like that that’s not too tall, I can just sort of stand on the ground. Busted out step ladders because, as I said in the video, my shoulders were burning a little bit. Um, but where I start, I’ll sort of memorize on my body where the hedge cutters are and I’ll use that as like a guide going through. As long as I stick to that and I’m not up and down with the hedge cutters. So, if I start at shoulder height, I’m going to take it through at shoulder height and try and stick to that. And then by the end, it’s pretty pretty level. Looks pretty good. um if you’re going through if you start at shoulder height and then halfway through it you’re sort of down at your sternum or you know you know you’re a bit off. So yeah, let me know what you think in the comments if there’s anything you would have done differently or any tips. Um if you notice on that video I did put sheets down. So all you guys that have been in the comments on previous videos saying I would have put a sheet down on that. I’m hoping you love this video and you’ve been really passionate about the sheets and I’m starting to think you get commission from the sheet top sales. Um, so yeah, enjoy your commission because I’ve actually bought some now. And to be fair was it was pretty quick at the end where I could just roll it up, chuck it in the van because that was the rest of my jobs that day was just grass cuts. So, I just sort of bowled it up and chucked it in the van cuz I was taking the waste away. And then I’ve I’ve got I made a lock up now. I’ve just took them out the van and just emptied them in the skip and took the sheet out and they’re now in the bulkhead. Uh I did say I was strapped for time today, but I managed to blast through everything pretty quick. So, I managed a little bit of an early finish. And it’s kind of a bad thing because my MS rang me and she said, “Oh, what you doing?” I said, “Oh, I’ve just finished.” She said, “Oh, brilliant. want to meet me at Aldi because I’m going to do the food shop. I I did I checked my diary just to see if I could move anything for today and kind of get out of doing the shop, but I couldn’t. So, I had to go there. Don’t think she’s going to invite me again because I was sticking things in the trolley that weren’t on the list. I thought, “Oh, yeah. I fancy that.” Just joy is got all the random stuff. It’s just just banging stuff in the trolley. So yeah, I’ve come away with a surfboard, a 10-man tent, and a little gargoyle statue for the garden that wasn’t on the list. So I don’t think she’s happy. I don’t think I’ll be getting an invite to do the food shop anytime soon anyway. So that’s a win. As always, if you’ve liked this video and any of the any of my previous videos, please subscribe, like, comment, share. That would be amazing. I’d really appreciate it and I will speak of the devil. That’s my message. I’ll catch you on the next one. See you.
19 Comments
Just starting out love watching your videos
Might need to get myself a RC is it really worth twice the price of the HS 45 🤔
Enjoying the vids, please can you make a video on how you tackle maretails and other invasive plants. My brother had a rental and it was all under the slabs etc was crazy.
I always go there for a loaf of bread and end up leaving with something like a half priced surf board 😂
Great job, spirit level eyes like I have. I don't like tarpaulins either, I find them a faff when I just want to get on….unless it's a super tidy driveway or gravel.
A pain to use if it's windy and you're on you're tod too.
Keep up the great work 👍
Great video mate keep it up
Tidy work. I only have the hs45 as another person commented. Do i need to save my pennies and fork out for an upgrade hedge trimmer!
Nice job i do it just like that
Tidy job pal and great vid 👍
Random one, where you get those trousers from? Well smart
I did this today, I do it by eye like yourself. Nice work mate tidy hedge that 🙂
Pretty much how I'd do it, so easy clean up with the tarps, can be a nuisance on a windy day TBF, but seriously worth it if working on gravel 👍
Only one thing, I'd recommend a hard cut like that on Privet (most evergreen actually) to be done late winter, what do others think?
Can’t beat the eye
Nice job!
Getting that horizontal top really does make a tidy finish.
Your method of eyeballing and "locking" your arms at a fixed height works brilliantly as long as the ground is level with no slope. But if the ground is sloping or is uneven, and you keep the trimmer at the same height, you end up with the hedge sloping like the ground. In this situation, I find that eyeballing a horizontal line in the distance, behind the hedge, works really well. Like the line of the fence in your video, or the line of brickwork or a roof, for example. Trim, step back, bend down to get your eyes at the same height as the hedge, check the line against a horizontal line behind the hedge, repeat. This also works well to get the top of the hedge horizontal across its width… 🤓
Nice one big chap! Do it the same way and never had a issue with any customers. So jobs a good yen!
That's how I would do it mate. I too have the HS82's with a 30" bar but at 61, I'm finding them a handful…….my shoulders and elbows are on fire in minutes these days!! I tend to default to my kombi unit as I find it better balanced. Only thing I wouldn't have bothered with is the tarp……each to their own. Great content mate.
Best
Dave
can totally relate with shoulders being on fire. I use the Husq Telescopic trimmer. Christ its heavy. Mine start burning so much quicker than when a was younger. Frustrating.
I do a cut in after you do the front. So if you have a 75cm blade yu know that is straight so just have to concentrate on the trimmer looking level and then just move onto the next section, so you can of chop in parallel with teh front on the hedge about 6 inches. Once you have done that it should be fairly level cos you have used the straight bit, You can then go in and cut as you did, like putting the blade in and sweeping off to your pre cut level. Pretty certain that makes no sense whatsoever. I saw a Welsh bloke doing it on here years ago and always done it that way since. Many ways to skin cat… not that ive tried
I never use anything except my echo 2620 kombi hedge trimmer with the head angled according to my eye with step ladders if needed.
I have a Stihl HS45 hedge trimmer & haven’t used it for years.
I bought a battery, telescopic hedge cutter. Absolutely great for deep hedges for about 10mins. Then the weight of the head takes over. I've tried using a sling for it but find taking the ladder about a foot away and using the rungs of the ladder as a pivot point. Gives the arms and shoulders a rest.
Top job