Best way to reduce a hedge depth

[HDAV]

Need some advice on some old and well established but close to causing issues hedges.

 

 

Long and complicated story but I was asked by my mum to cut some hedges and have been doing so for a couple of years. They were once well tended but were allowed to get out of hand and are being kept under control just about now.

 

problem is they are now 5’ deep and keep spreading I’m thinking he answer is to cut them back 12” -18” plus and let them regrow as now going any deeper is too thick for a hedge cutter, would a chainsaw be the answer? The far end it the worst the side you see is a veg patch beyond is a paddock and he paddock side in parts it’s so deep even a long reach hedge cutter from both sides struggles my thinking is to cut the paddock side right back? Also run a chain saw across the top to level it off and bring it down to shoulder height.

 

 

Out of shot to the left is a beech hedge again now 5’ deep in parts as it was left in trimmmed for a number of years and has put on thick tough growth. This is now blocking he path and while neat it is too big.

[Wonkydonkey]

Just whata ever u got to chop it, ie the smallest saw and a bigest bar, I used  a 260 with 3/8 and 25” bar as I had to hold it above head height to cut the top.. I did a walk past on each side

but your mileage may vary. 

The sides are much more easy, 

[HDAV]

Here is a semi permant bonfire just to the left of the shot so no worries there, also I don’t have to to tractor and flat is a great idea but would take longer (even with a loader) to get a tractor at the hedge than to cut it with all. Chain saw. Both sides have grown out at yeast 2 feet so I think i’lol start taking 12” off the far side and see what happens. 

 

There is a beech hedge in a similar state when is  best to cut a beech back hard? I know they are trimmed in late summer autum as a rule.

 

looks like I might just have time..... https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=83

[woody paul]

7 hours ago, huskykev said:

Get a tractor/digger and flail in for a few hours and save yourself a lot of ballache....

That would be the quickest way Smash bang and a big mess to clear up.

Have used brush cutter with blade to cut back hawthorn leaves nice Clean cuts compared to chainsaw.

[scbk]

There is a hedge cutter attachment for chainsaw bars that you can get, hardly worth buying just for this one hedge though!

[arbogrunt]

I had quite a bigger blackthorn/hawthorn hedge to cut back by 20'. I priced to cut it by hand for four days. Got it done with a flail in 3 or 4 hours [emoji16][emoji1360]