Safe Hedge Trimming Tips and How-To

With all the safety features our modern-day lawn care equipment comes with, you may not spare a thought for your protection. Believe it or not, though, safe hedge trimming is not a task that your top-quality hedge trimmer can manage independently. It needs your help.

Before you haul out the ladder and all the tools of the trade, take a moment to consider what you need to do to keep yourself safe. After all, ACC doesn’t want to see you on their books.

Wear Protective Equipment

Sure, it might be shorts and t-shirt weather in your neck of the woods, but that doesn’t mean it’s the most appropriate choice of clothing for safe hedge trimming. In fact, a good rule to live by is that you should dress like you’re getting ready for a blizzard.

Wear anti-cut long-legged trousers, non-slip boots or shoes that won’t fight with the ladder, and heavy-duty gloves. These gloves can stop you from being cut or scratched by falling branches, thorns, and twigs, as you cut.

One of the most important things to wear, too, are UV-protected eyewear. Your standard pair of spectacles won’t be enough to stop sharp branches and twigs from embedding themselves in your eye sockets. So, consider buying purpose-made protective glasses from your local garden store or hardware store.

With the new rules surrounding mask use in Auckland when COVID-19 made a reappearance, most of us now keep single-use and reusable masks in our homes. Pop one of these on when you start hedge trimming because they can stop spores and insects from making their way into your nose and mouth.

Follow the Instructions

If you’re one of those people who throw the instructions away when you buy anything new, then it’s time to change your ways. When you purchase a hedge trimmer, you’re going to need them – especially if you want to practice safe hedge trimming.

The instructions can be manufacturer-specific, as well, which means past habits you’ve formed may no longer apply to your current hedge trimmer. Take note of the recommended method of use, maintenance tips, and general ‘do’ and ‘do not’ tips included.

You may be surprised at how much you learn – just like when you finally read the instructions of a board game you’ve been playing wrong for years.

Check for Obstacles

Before you start trimming your hedges willy-nilly, it’s a good idea to give them a thorough visual inspection. By doing so, you can save yourself from being called the worst parent in the world when you carve up your child’s favourite rugby ball.

Checking for obstacles can also keep you safe because there’s nothing more shock-inducing then having a hedgehog racing across your lawn after you woke it from its slumber. Once you’ve cleared the hedge of any obstacles, you can be one step closer to giving them a haircut.

Don’t Trim Your Hedges in Wet Weather

When you look outside and see that it’s raining, you’ve probably decided then and there that you’ll just hire someone to handle hedge trimming. And, of course, we recommend that. But if you do want to tackle them yourself, have patience and wait until it’s dry or has at least stopped raining.

You may notice that the job you do in wet weather is not as great as the one you did in the dry weather. What’s more, electric hedge trimmers are not safe to operate around moisture. Because, as you probably know, electricity and water are not a match made in heaven.

Another problem with wet weather is the concern around heights. If you are working on a ladder, you may find the moisture impacts your footwear’s ability to grip the rungs.

Don’t Operate Your Hedge Trimmer Above Your Head

Hedges can reach some astounding heights. For example, the pittosporum hedge can grow to around three metres and is among the hardier varieties in New Zealand. But because of its height, you may find yourself unable to reach the very top of it without the use of a ladder to bring you to its level.

And if you can’t reach the top even with a ladder, then never attempt to raise the trimmer over your head. You may lose your balance, fall, and severely injure yourself. Instead, leave the job to the experts or invest in a long-reach hedge trimmer or platform system ladder – or both.

Never Walk Backwards

When hedge trimming is at the top of your to-do list for the day, then make sure it’s safe hedge trimming you’re going to be doing. One way to keep safe is by making sure you always walk forward while cutting a hedge.

If you walk backwards, you may trip over something you don’t see and seriously injure yourself. It may not be something you’ve ever thought about, but it’s worth noting.

Or, Hire Someone Who Provides a Hedge Trimming Service

There can be a lot involved in safe hedge trimming. You have to buy a high-quality hedge trimmer, maintain it, then sacrifice watching the rugby game on TV so you can keep your yard in tip-top shape. When that’s the case, it’s often a good idea to hire someone to take care of it for you.

Someone who does hedge trimming for a living already has all the equipment. They can then turn up at regular intervals and make sure you never have to lift a finger.