A neglected hedge gets sparse at the bottom, hollow in the middle and unreachable at the top. Bringing it back is much harder than keeping it trimmed. Alpine Arborism handles everything from annual maintenance trims to one-off "this is out of control" reduction jobs.
Hedges we work on
- Conifer hedgesLeyland cypress, macrocarpa, lawson, totara, kohuhu, pittosporum.
- Native hedges: griselinia, corokia, lemonwood, akeake, taupata, pohutukawa screens.
- Formal hedges: buxus, lonicera, photinia, viburnum, camellia.
- Shelterbelts: long-run cryptomeria, eucalyptus, macrocarpa, mixed natives on lifestyle blocks & farms.
- Topiary & specimen shapes: domes, balls, cones, pleached trees.
- Tall hedges4m–10m+ where ladders aren't safe and a MEWP or climb-and-cut is needed.
Maintenance trim or reduction job?
Maintenance trims are quick, we run over the faces and top, cleaning up the season's growth back to a tidy line. Annual or twice-yearly maintenance keeps a hedge dense, healthy and proportional to your section.
Reduction jobs are for hedges that have got away. We can take a Leyland from 7 metres back to 3, but you should know two things: most conifers won't regrow from old brown wood, so the new faces will stay green-side only; and a hard reduction is a stress event for the hedge, we'll stage it across seasons where the species can't handle a single big cut.
What's included in our hedge quote
- Set-up: drop sheets to catch clippings, mats to protect lawns and beds.
- Face and top trimming to the height and width you've specified.
- Tall-hedge work via MEWP, scaffold tower or rope-access depending on the site.
- All clippings chipped on site, chip removed.
- Lawn rake and final tidy.
Best time to trim hedges in NZ
- Conifer hedges: late spring (Oct–Nov) and again in late summer (Feb–Mar) for a clean look year-round.
- Native hedges: anytime outside their flowering window if flowers matter to you.
- Buxus, formal hedges: twice a year minimum; three times for sharp lines.
- Shelterbelts: late autumn or early winter for big reductions; light maintenance late spring.
- Avoid trimming during nesting season (Sep–Dec) on hedges known to have native birds nesting.
Hedge trimming cost in NZ
Pricing is by lineal metre or by time, depending on hedge height and condition. A 2m garden hedge in good condition is straightforward and cheap. A 6m+ overgrown conifer needing MEWP access and significant reduction takes a different approach, quoted accordingly.