Is there a legal season for hedge cutting?

Yes. Under the Wildlife Act, cutting hedges is restricted between 1 March and 31 August, with limited exceptions for road safety and agriculture. Garden hedges have more latitude than field boundaries, but the nesting season is the reason most cutting happens in autumn.

How far back can a hedge be cut?

It depends entirely on the species. Laurel and privet take hard cutting and come back; conifers like leylandii do not regrow from bare wood, so cutting into brown kills that section permanently.

How often does a hedge need doing?

Once a year for most garden hedges, twice for fast growers like griselinia if you want it sharp. Leaving it three years turns a trim into a reduction job.

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Hedge Cutting in Ireland

Hedges in Ireland grow hard and fast, and a hedge left two seasons stops being a hedge and becomes a row of trees. Cutting is mostly judgement: how far back a species will take without dying off, where the growth point is, and — legally — when you are allowed to cut at all.

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What’s included

Garden hedges, boundary hedges and roadside frontage
Beech, laurel, privet, griselinia and escallonia
Height reduction and reshaping
Overhanging growth on paths and roads
Arisings collected and removed
Advice on what a hedge will take before you cut it

Why request hedge cutting through Connect Cleaner

Keeps boundary hedges within the line you own
Prevents the bare-legged look that comes from cutting too late
Reduces sight-line problems on roadside frontage
Waste removed rather than left in a heap

Available across all 26 counties

We connect you with local hedge cutting providers in every county in Ireland.

Leinster

Munster

Connacht

Ulster

Frequently asked questions

Is there a legal season for hedge cutting?: Yes. Under the Wildlife Act, cutting hedges is restricted between 1 March and 31 August, with limited exceptions for road safety and agriculture. Garden hedges have more latitude than field boundaries, but the nesting season is the reason most cutting happens in autumn.
How far back can a hedge be cut?: It depends entirely on the species. Laurel and privet take hard cutting and come back; conifers like leylandii do not regrow from bare wood, so cutting into brown kills that section permanently.
How often does a hedge need doing?: Once a year for most garden hedges, twice for fast growers like griselinia if you want it sharp. Leaving it three years turns a trim into a reduction job.