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Hedges which are allowed to grow naturally require but little prun-ing, except the removal of dead and diseased wood and the checking ofany portion that becomes too rampant or destroys symmetry. Itoften becomes desirable in the development of hedge plants to keepthe growth within certain well-defined limits of height, after the plantshave become a few years old. This requires judicious pruning, con-sisting of the removal of many of the older branches each year, butnever a heavy shearing which cuts the entire top of the plant, regard-less of the size or age of the branches, to a fixed height. Hedges which are trimmed formally should be kept uniform inheight and thickness. One late winter and two or three summer prun-ings during the growing season are better than one heavy pruningyearly. Hedges will do best if kept in a flattened ovoid shape with thewidest part at the base (Plate V). In this way all the leaf surfacewill receive a more nearly equal portion of light, and leaves will grow |
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