Message Board - Soft Landscaping: Bush

I like a Beaver style myself!!!

It depends if you want a formal or informal shape to your bush, and the type of bush will dictate what you can do.

If you go for formal you want the lower parts of the bush to be wider than the upper parts, so that all leaves catch a bit of sunlight. If you don't you may end up with a lolly-pop looking bush, whereby you see all thr main trunk and then several feet off the ground the branches appear.

Whether you need to cut back with secateurs or a hedge trimmer will depend on the type of leaves you have. Leaves like those found on a Laurel need to be cut back with secateurs to the stem, otherwise you get some die back if you cut the leaf in half, which leaves all the leaves with horrible brown edges.

The sap should have stopped rising by now, so you should be free to trim back your bush as you wish. I would suggest cutting it back a little at a time, as you can always remove more. If you cut too much off in one go you may not like the form you have created, and it may take a while to grow back.