The window for trimming your hedges is almost over – here's what you need to know about pruning in October

Our gardens might be winding down for the winter this month, but is October too late to trim hedges?

Well, if you’re hoping to prune your hedges this month, I’ve got good news for you: October isn’t too late to get started, and actually, it’s widely considered the ideal time to do it.

You’ll only need to give them a light trim, though – and there are a few things you’ll need to know before you get going.

What you'll need

• A pair of secateurs, like the Kimura® 8" Pro Bypass Garden Secateurs, £21.95 at Amazon
• Some garden tool cleaner, like Agralan Citrox, £11.99 at Amazon
• A garden trug to catch your trimmings, like this Neat Plastics Flexi Tub, £8.90 at Amazon

So, is October too late to trim hedges?

Absolutely not! But if you leave it too much longer, you might miss the boat.

‘October isn't too late to trim your hedges,’ says Helena Jones, gardening expert and head of commercial at Hedges Direct. ‘It's actually the last ideal window to trim deciduous hedges like beech and hornbeam because the weather is usually still warm, which means your plants won’t get any nasty shocks from sudden cold snaps.’

Deciduous hedge growth slows right down over the winter, so you'll need to get any trimming done before the cold weather sets in.

‘October marks the final trim for privet, beech and hornbeam before winter dormancy,’ agrees Ted Bromley-Hall, managing director of IBRAN, a UK landscaping company.

That means you can add the task to your list of jobs to do in the garden in October. Plus, you’ll avoid disturbing nesting birds (and there is a law against trimming hedges from March to August).

It’s probably not the best time for a hard prune, though – but actually, your hedges shouldn’t need that right now anyway.

‘Deciduous trees and shrubs can be pretty much left to their own devices, but a light trim at this time helps maintain their shape so they don’t overtake your garden or swamp other plants,’ explains Helena from Hedges Direct.

‘Hedges usually produce new leaves in spring with a second spurt in late summer, so they only need a light trim to remove this fresh growth to keep them looking tidy.’

You can give evergreen hedges a light trim in October, too – but watch out for any early frosts, as freshly-trimmed plants are more vulnerable to frost damage.

'Try to avoid a heavy prune of frost-prone species such as photinia, euonymus and privet, and ensure cuts are clean,' says Polhawn Fort's head gardener, Nicky.

As ever, make sure you’re cleaning your garden tools properly between pruning sessions to prevent the spread of diseases between plants and hedges. Helena says you shouldn’t reach for the hedge trimmers right now, though. A pair of good secateurs will do the job just fine.

‘I recommend secateurs over hedge trimmers, which might damage large-leaved hedging, causing unsightly, brown die-back,’ Helena advises.

'To make a nice straight hedge, I recommend using a string line tied between tall bamboo canes. Start at the top of the hedge and follow the string line with clean, sharp secateurs. Make sure you cut the sides at right angles from the top for a neat finish.’

Then, you can add your trimmings to a compost heap (just make sure there's no trace of plant disease).

So, October isn’t too late to trim hedges – just keep it light, and keep an eye on the weather forecast for any early frosts!