Shrub and Hedge Trimming service to help keep your yard looking great and the trees growing strong and full. We have serviced the following neighborhoods of Mississauga South since 2006:
Mineola, Lorne Park, Port Credit, Applewood, Lakeview, Cooksville & Clarkson
Topics on this Page
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- Overgrown Hedges and Shrubs
- Planting Shrubs
- Shrub and Roots Removal
- Planting Cedars
- Trimming Privet Hedges
- Spring Flowering Shrubs
Tree, Shrub and Hedge Trimming
On our visit to your home we would be happy to look over your hedge, shrubs or trees to give you an estimate of the cost to trim them. We can also advise how we could improve their look or cut them back to something more manageable. Will also completely remove hedges, shrubs and small trees as well, if that is what you need.
We removed the dead spruce tree branches to clean up the look of the tree and the front yard.
Trimming your hedge at the right time is important, but if your shrubs and hedges are overgrown and have not been trimmed or cut back in years, then anytime is good (within reason). The sooner you can get an overgrown hedge or shrub contained, the sooner you can start your hedge trimming it at a more recommended time of year. I take pride in our shrub and hedge trimming and will help you in trimming all your shrubs and will tend to the tedious cleanup.
I have been trimming both sides of this hedge since 2008
Besides trimming your hedge we can plant a new shrub or maybe remove another less desirable overgrown shrub for you. A Customer was once thrilled with a bird bath we made after removing a damaged apple tree.
Many winters can be hard on shrubs, and they may need to have many of the dead branches trimmed back to look good.
To slow the growth of a tree, we could do pruning after seasonal growth is done. You reduce the total leaf surface, reducing the amount of food manufactured and sent to the roots.
We trim these Boxwood hedges to be precisely angled and cut 21 inches high.
Our Experience and Confidence Trimming Hedges
There are a few basic rules and tricks that we follow with trimming hedges and shrubs and I can add that to the fact that I am comfortable and confident cutting back most shrubs and hedges since 2006. Over the years I have had the experience to have seen the end results of my Hedge trimming work after months and years. It has always been a great interest to me to see how shrubs have grown back in over the years. I am always curious to see how other peoples trimming work has turned out.
150 ft long cedar hedge, trimmed every year to keep it full and contain its height
Trimming an English Garden
Another way we help our customers is to begin from one side of their ‘English Garden‘ as it is sometimes called and move all the way around trimming and pruning all the shrubs and perennials in your garden as well as cleaning up all the mess when we are done.
Spring Flowering Shrubs
If you have a spring flowering shrub, tree or bush such as a lilac bush, call us to come by after the flowers have finished blooming. It must not be done too late after the flowers have died because the new buds will have started to grow in for the following season.
Rule of thumb is that the shrubs or trees must be trimmed within a month of the flowers dying. Trimming the shrubs, bushes or trees too late in the season is usually the main reason people discover that their flowers are not blooming as they may have done in the past. They were trimmed too late in the season and the new buds get cut off.
Lilac flowers should get cut off within a month of dying and turning brown.
Trimming Hydrangea
Hydrangea plants and bushes fall into this scenario as well. Cut too late in the spring and it will cut off the newly formed buds. I like to cut them down in the fall. Make certain to water them lots. The ‘Hydra’ in Hydrangea means water. As well, applying fertilizer in the early spring will get you better results, and possibly different color flowers as well.
Trim flowers from Hydrangea tree in the fall
When to Trim Evergreens
There is a relatively small window to trim evergreens, but I feel you may as well wait until they have completed their new spring growth.
Usually by the beginning of May they really have not added much growth, but by the end of June they should have grown well and you should be good to trim them.Overgrown Hedges and Shrubs
When hedges and shrubs have become overgrown because of not being trimmed in a few seasons, you might be best to trim these overgrown hedges and shrubs early in the season. This will allow the bare areas to grow back in during the robust spring growth period. However it may take a few seasons to get many shrubs and hedges to fill back in after they have been cut way back to the wood.
Yews will come back nicely, cedars take a little more time and if they have been allowed to get too out of hand certain areas may never green up with foliage.
Trimming Privet Hedges
Privet are such a popular hedge. Some can be 60 years old or more and still look great if they have been trimmed properly each year.
Most Privet need trimming twice a season if they are in a good growing environment. (Getting lots of rain and sun).Privet will survive in the shade if they are an older plant but will not flourish. Like many cedars hedges the Privet hedge would have been planted at the same time as the trees around it were planted and was able to grow because of the ample sun and rain at that time. Years later however, the trees around it have grown large and the Privet are now shaded. Not the best environment.
Privet usually fill in very quickly so do not be concerned if you would like to trim them back heavily to fit in with your yard plans. I have cut back a few Privet hedges and was amassed at how quickly they greened out.
1- Hedge blocking view of young school children on sidewalk
2- This height would not hide the children on the sidewalk
3- Within 2 months the chopped Privet hedge had leafed out.
If you have been cutting them regularly then you do not want to be trimming them in any summer heat waves as this may damage them. Thirdly, if cut too late in the fall you jeopardize damaging the new growth should they be hit with an early frost, this frost will freeze the new tender growth and result in having the entire evergreen to be covered with dead brown edges the following spring. Trimming them earlier allows any new tender growth from an evergreen to develop for a month or two and it will then be hardy enough to with stand the frost.
Planting Shrubs
Having a beautiful garden takes time, a few years or so, however I have seen much too often thousands of dollars spent on landscaping with plants and perennials put inches away from each other. It may look good initially when the big bill is being presented to you but these beautiful shrubs and perennials were meant to grow! Now to be fair to the landscape construction companies, it is not only them that do this but I have seen many homeowners want to over plant as well.
The shrubs usually have details and guidelines as to how big each will grow and this should be considered. My rule of thumb is that all shrubs need at least 4 to 5 feet between each one. A Weigela shrub I recently purchased has a recommended spacing of 5 feet on the info tag. I will explain further. Each shrub will probably be trimmed at about 3 to 5 feet high depending on the look you want. So if this is the height they will need to be keep trimmed at least 2.5 to 3 feet wide with approx 1 foot between each shrub. (To maintain this they will need to be trimmed annually) As an example to grow 3 shrubs to maturity in a few years they need approx. 14 feet if they will be grown beside each other.
Shrubs Planted Too Close Together
Too many Yews planted too close together and too close to house. Within one season they were all dead! What were they thinking?
This image shows these Yews planted too close together and dangerously close to the house. (when using a gas hedge trimmer on them in the future) They are also under the roof overhang limiting any rain water. Being so close to the house will also keep the soil extra dry with the warmth of the basement walls with the radiant heat evaporating any moisture in the soil. How will they ever flourish?
An update to the photo and this article, these yews all died 6 months after this photo was taken and had to be removed. Another row planted at the same time elsewhere on the grounds flourished.So when planting any shrubs, trees or perennials remember your kids grew, your dog grew and your shrubs, trees and perennials will eventually grow as well. So be patient.
When planting any type of tree or shrub consciously think about what it will look like in 5 years, then 10 years and beyond.Planting shrubs and perennials to close together is the one major mistake I see too often from many expensive landscaping projects.
Cedar trees planted at good space from each other
Planting Cedars
Another common mistake people make is in planting cedars in the wrong environment. Cedars need sunlight and their fair share of rain to grow. That is why they grow so well near the beach. The trees will not grow as well in any area of your yard that does not get enough sunlight.
They also need room to grow. If you are buying $8. black cedars up north somewhere, you can get away with planting them 1 foot apart or so. However if you are buying a pyramid cedar please realize these trees will be growing up to 5 feet wide or more in a few years.
This image above is showing some pyramid cedars that were planted with better spacing than most and they will continue to look great. Too many times they are all squished together. A group of Pyramid cedars look so great when there are 10 feet high+ and just barely touching each other at the base.
Plant a Yew
Yews are a nice tree and do not require a lot of sunlight or moisture, however they will grow a little slower. Yews can be shaped differently and I have heard of some a hundred years old in English-UK Cemeteries. When allowed to grow large they also have a very attractive bark on any exposed limbs.
You will pay a little more for Yews than Cedars but that is because they are a slowing growing shrub.Shrubs and Root Removal
Root ball from an 18 foot cedar tree
We can help remove almost any shrub and their root ball. Over the years we have removed almost every type of shrub from difficult Yews to equally difficult Weigelas. We are patient and take our time to get the results you hired us for. We have proper sharpened tools and can accomplish this task safety in a reasonable amount of time and can ensure the root ball is disposed of.
Bird bath for a customer sad to loose her tree for the birds
Small Tree Planting
We can deliver and plant most any tree under 12 feet. Safely digging a proper hole and recommending a place that your tree will flourish and look good is an important role we will play. Taking note of what it will look like in 15 years will help decide the area you plant it in. That is the key to having a great looking tree, how will it look in 10 or 15 years and will it be a positive addition to your yard or a hindrance, because they will grow!
Take a look around your neighborhood to see what other trees look like. We also like to remove the burlap wrapping and wires that they come in from the nursery. May as well give the roots the best chance to grow well. Proper watering is important remembering that the water will need to travel at least 2 feet in the ground before it soaks the root ball. We also like to create a small moat to help contain the water down into the roots.
Trimming Maple and Birch Trees in Spring
Thinking of trimming a birch tree or maple tree of a few branches in the early spring, best wait until they leaf or you will have the sap dripping all over your lawn for weeks. Or get out a pot and make some maple syrup! There are a few specific rules to pruning trees and this is an important one. The other key rule is to cut the branch at the edge of the collar at the trunk so the the tree heals nicely.
On The Job Safety
We have experience trimming most all shrubs and will get thru the job quickly and safely. The safety aspect is very important and we work to avoid injury all the time. With our years of trimming experience we are able to anticipate areas that might be dangerous, and proceed with caution. We also pay handsomely to have our own own insurance, both business and worker through WSIB. I will sometimes walk away from a hedge trimming job if I feel is may be too dangerous.
Our Tools & Equipment
Our tools and equipment are commercial grade and maintained for optimum cutting and pruning. We have special aluminum arbor ladders that do the job. We have 3 different types of hedge trimmers depending on the hedge. All our cutting instruments are from a company called Fiskars. Always make a good clean cut. We do a nice thorough job of cleaning the mess and should get through the entire job in reasonable time. A nice looking shub and hedge trimming job that might take most homeowners a few days we can get done in a few hours or so.
This cedar hedge trimming against a wrought iron fence is difficult
Our Rates
Our shrub and hedge trimming rates are very reasonable when you consider the time you will be saving, equipment you will not need to purchase, and possibly avoid injury. We also offer an hourly rate and give you a rough idea of the time your work may take or if you are more comfortable we can quote you a price. I always try to make sure we are both winning and there are no losers. Did I mention that we will clean up the mess of our shrub and hedge trimming. When we have fully completed the work you can pay our invoice by cheque on that day or by email bank transfer if you wish. Back to index
