[Paulj]

I'm guessing this is the wrong time of year for it, but we have lots of hedges in our new garden and front garden.  The front one bothers me most though as one is about 8ft tall and is a real mess at the top given the previous owners and next door did nothing about it.

Nobody lives next door at the moment, and their neighbours hedges are much neater and something akin to what I'd like to achieve - about 5ft.

I've got hedge trimmers and have a friend who with a chainsaw if tht will make the job easier.  There's only about 10m in length that I want to reduce in height.

I the picture below you can see where I've tried to neaten it at the top, but unfortunately it is too wide at that height for me to do the whole thing from our side of it.  With no one living next door at the moment, I could probably use their driveway if necessary to aid in reducing the overall height.

Can I do it at this time of year, or will there be too much damage to it?

Picture of said hedge:

[surbie100]

I would say yes, but there is more info here on pruning times depending on plant: http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=352

Birds start nesting from the end of this month, so you might want to factor that in too.

[JayG]

Looks like a privet - can't really offer more advice than that given HERE in a recent thread.

(Basically, yes you can, but I'm not qualified to offer an opinion about the wisdom of using a chain saw rather than a proper hedgecutter.)

[mumofstig]

It doesn't look like a conifer, so you can prune very soon. If you have to cut right into it, it will take a while to recover but should do so, eventually

renovating hedges here
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=398#section1

[Paulj]

I hadn't thought about bird nests.  Will have to check.  I'd had a look at the hrs pages, but there are so many different pages, and I don't have a clue what type of hedge it is, apart from evergreen.  I've tried looking at their pictures to identify it but no luck.

[JayG]

I don't have a clue what type of hedge it is, apart from evergreen.

You should have a clue - I've just told you it looks like a privet!

[mumofstig]

and I said it wasn't a conifer 

[Paulj]

Stupid me! Sorry Jayg - I completely missed tht as I was being beckoned out of the door by my other half to walk the dog! 

[JayG]

It's OK, it's not the first time I seem to have discovered invisible typing!   

[Aunt Sally]

T'is definitely a privet

[aelf]

I would avoid using a chainsaw above shoulder height and definately not on platforms or ladders. Very dangerouse piece of kit in inexperienced hands 

[madcat]

I would do it now.  The shrub will be as dormant as it gets and the birds haven't started nesting quite yet.  Otherwise you wont get to it until September when the second brood is away... 

[Paulj]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Will it do any harm to the hedge if I also take it back a couple of inches in width?  That will leave it bare of leaves, which I realise won't be the prettiest for a while but I assume they will regrow?  Or am I assuming wrongly?

[JayG]

The more you chop, the longer they will take to green up again, but privet has amazing powers of recovery even when cut back to the old wood.

There is an unusual clause in the deeds of the houses on my street which doesn't allow the hedges to be replaced with other types of borders, so the ones surrounding all the gardens were probably planted about 80 years ago when the houses were built.
They have put up with being neglected and/or hacked about ever since (including by me!) but they still come back for more! 

[devonbarmygardener]

I need to attack the box hedge around my tiny front door patch. Looking at it outside the window now and it looks terribly straggly and untidy.