Irvine, AyrshireMon–Sat · 8:00 AM – 6:30 PM · Sun · 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM info@rootsandlawns.co.uk01294 286739 AboutServices Service Areas Our WorkReviewsContact01294 286739Request Estimate - Home - Services - Hedge Trimming Hedge Trimming & Hedge Cutting in Ayrshire # Sharp, StraightHedge Trimming AcrossAll of Ayrshire From a quick privet tidy-up to a 6-metre Leylandii reduction — cut level, faced square, and every last clipping taken away before we leave. Fixed price agreed before we start. Request Free Quote Call 01294 286739 Fully insured · All green waste removed · Free quote within 24 hours, 7 days a week - 10+ yrs Hands-on experience - 500+ Jobs completed across Ayrshire - 100% Fully insured & owner-operated - < 24h Same-day reply, 7 days a week The Service ## Hedge Trimming & Hedge Cutting, Done to a Line Hedge trimming is the single job that changes how a garden reads from the street. A hedge cut level along the top, faced square on both sides and tapered slightly inwards towards the top looks deliberate — and it stays healthier, because light reaches the base instead of only the crown. We trim hedges of every type across Irvine, Kilmarnock, Troon, Ayr, Kilwinning, Saltcoats, Largs and across Ayrshire: privet, beech, hornbeam, laurel, box, yew, escallonia, griselinia, hawthorn and the ever-present Leylandii. Every job is quoted as a fixed price after we've seen the hedge, and that price always includes taking the clippings away. There is no 'waste removal extra' line at the end — a hedge cut is not finished until the ground beneath it is swept and the trimmings are off your property. We work from ladders, tripod ladders or platforms depending on height and ground, and we sheet up beds and lawns before the first cut so nothing gets trampled into the borders. Getting a professional in matters more with hedges than with almost any other garden job, because hedge mistakes are permanent. Cut a conifer back past the green and it will never regrow from bare wood. Cut a flowering hedge at the wrong month and you remove next year's display. Cut a nesting hedge between March and August and you risk breaking wildlife law. We work to RHS timing guidance and check hedges for active nests before a blade goes near them. Why It Matters ## What Happens When a Hedge Is Left Too Long An untrimmed hedge doesn't stay the same size — it compounds. Every season you skip makes the eventual cut bigger, more expensive and more likely to leave permanent damage. Here's what we're called out to most often in Ayrshire: ### Leylandii outgrows the point of no return Leylandii puts on 60-90cm a year. Two missed seasons and cutting back to the line you want exposes brown, bare wood that never greens up. At that point the only fix is removal and replanting — ten times the cost of routine trimming. ### The base goes bare and gappy When the top is allowed to widen, it shades the bottom of the hedge. The lower growth thins, dies back and leaves a see-through gap exactly where you wanted privacy — and no amount of later cutting brings it back quickly. ### Neighbour and boundary disputes Overhanging growth across a boundary, blocked light and hedges over 2 metres are the most common cause of Scottish High Hedge Notices. A council notice costs a fee to resolve and forces work on the council's timetable, not yours. ### You lose the nesting window Nesting season runs roughly March to August and hedges are protected while birds are in them. Miss the spring window and you may legally have to wait until late summer — with the hedge growing all the while. Our Process ## How We Deliver Hedge Trimming in Ayrshire - 01 ### Free Site Visit & Measure We walk the hedge with you, measure run length and height, check access, ground conditions and where the finished line should sit. - 02 ### Fixed Written Quote One price in writing covering cutting, sheeting up, sweep-down and removal of all clippings. No day rates, no waste surcharge. - 03 ### Nest Check & Set-Up We inspect for active nests, sheet the beds and lawn, and set safe access — tripod ladders or platform depending on height. - 04 ### Cut to a Line Top levelled with a string or eye line, sides faced square with a slight inward taper so light reaches the base and the hedge stays dense. - 05 ### Clear-Down & Aftercare Everything raked, blown and bagged, borders checked, waste taken away. We agree your next trim date before we drive off. Why Choose Us ## The Difference, In Plain English ### Cut level, not eyeballed Tops set to a line and sides faced square — the difference between a trimmed hedge and a hacked one. ### All clippings removed Included in the price, always. Nothing left bagged at the gate for you to deal with. ### Right timing per species Beech and hornbeam in late summer, conifers twice a year, flowering hedges after they bloom. ### Heights up to 6m+ Tripod ladders and platforms as standard; larger reductions handled by our tree team. ### Nesting-season compliant Every hedge checked for active nests before work starts — we'll reschedule rather than risk it. ### Fully insured, owner-operated Public liability cover, and the same person quoting is the person cutting. In Detail ## Hedge Cutting by Species, Height and Season Not all hedges want the same treatment. Below is how we approach the hedge types we see most across Ayrshire gardens, and what changes with height, season and hedge condition. ### Leylandii & conifer hedges The fastest-growing hedge in Scotland and the least forgiving. Conifers do not regenerate from old brown wood, so every cut must stay within the green. We trim Leylandii, Thuja and Lawson cypress twice a year — typically late spring and again in early autumn — holding the height and reducing width slightly each time so the hedge never runs away. Where a hedge is already too tall, we plan a staged reduction over two seasons: top down to target height first, then face the sides the following year, so the hedge is never stripped bare on all planes at once. Reductions above 4 metres or on trunk-forming conifers are handled as tree work. ### Beech, hornbeam & deciduous hedges Beech and hornbeam are cut once a year in late summer (August) so the copper winter leaf is retained, or twice if you want a very tight formal finish. Hawthorn, blackthorn and mixed native hedging are cut in winter when dormant, which also keeps them stock-proof and encourages thick basal growth. Deciduous hedges tolerate hard renovation: an overgrown beech can be cut right back into old wood on one side at a time over two or three winters and will regrow fully — something a conifer never will. ### Privet, laurel, griselinia & evergreens Privet is the most forgiving hedge there is and takes two or three cuts a season to look crisp. Laurel has large leaves that shred and brown when cut with a hedge trimmer, so where the finish matters we cut laurel with secateurs or a pruning saw, leaf by leaf, for a clean green face. Griselinia and escallonia are trimmed after flowering. Box is clipped in early summer, and we check for box blight and box tree caterpillar while we're in it. ### Height, access & the 2-metre rule Under 2 metres we work from the ground or a step platform. Between 2 and 4 metres we use tripod ladders set on levelled ground. Above 4 metres, or where the hedge sits over a slope, a wall, a road or a conservatory, we assess for a platform or bring in the tree team with rope access. In Scotland, the High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013 lets a neighbour apply to the council over an evergreen hedge above 2 metres that blocks light — worth knowing before a boundary hedge gets away from you. ### One-off rescue cuts vs regular trims A one-off rescue cut on a badly overgrown hedge is priced on the volume of material coming off, not just the run length — it's slower, heavier and generates far more waste. Once a hedge is back to a line, a routine trim on a set cycle is typically a fraction of that cost per visit. Most of our customers move to one or two trims a year afterwards, and many fold it into a regular gardening plan so the hedge is simply never a problem again. ### Waste, wildlife and the clear-down Clippings from a single 15-metre conifer run can fill a large trailer. We remove everything as standard and dispose of it responsibly through licensed green waste routes; we're happy to leave chippings or a habitat pile if you'd prefer to keep them. Before any cut we check for active nests, wasp nests and hedgehogs at the base, and we'll pause on a specific section rather than disturb a nest. Where We Work ## Hedge Trimming Across Ayrshire Same trusted local team in every town we cover. - Irvine - Kilwinning - Saltcoats - Stevenston - Ardrossan - Largs - Dalry - West Kilbride - Beith - Kilbirnie - Dreghorn - Fairlie - Kilmarnock - Stewarton - Dundonald - Troon - Ayr - Prestwick - View all areas Frequently Asked ## Honest Answers, Up Front How much does hedge trimming cost in Ayrshire?It depends on run length, height, species and how overgrown it is. A routine trim on a low privet or beech hedge is a small fixed job; a first-time reduction on tall Leylandii takes far longer and produces much more waste. We give you one fixed written price after a free site visit, and it always includes taking the clippings away. Do you take the hedge clippings away? When is the best time to cut a hedge? Can you cut hedges during bird nesting season? How tall a hedge can you cut? My Leylandii is far too tall — can you cut it right back? Can you cut my neighbour's overhanging hedge? How often should a hedge be trimmed? Do you shape hedges and cut arches or tops? Are you insured, and how quickly can you come? Related Services ## Often Booked Alongside Hedge Trimming Gardening & Maintenance ### Gardening See the service Gardening & Maintenance ### Tree Services See the service Gardening & Maintenance ### Rubbish Removals See the service Looking for something else? View all services or back to home. ## Get a Fixed Price for Your Hedge Trimming Free on-site measure, one written price including full waste removal, and most hedges booked in within a week. Serving all of Ayrshire. Request Free Quote Call 01294 286739 Fully insured · Owner-operated · Same-day reply, 7 days a week Owner-operated gardening, landscaping and property maintenance specialists serving households and businesses right across Ayrshire — seven days a week. - 01294 286739 - 07348 622587 - info@rootsandlawns.co.uk - Irvine, Ayrshire - Opening Hours Open with main hours Sun9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Mon8:00 AM – 6:30 PM Tue8:00 AM – 6:30 PM Wed8:00 AM – 6:30 PM Thu8:00 AM – 6:30 PM Fri8:00 AM – 6:30 PM Sat8:00 AM – 6:30 PM Services GardeningHedge TrimmingTree ServicesTurfingArtificial GrassRubbish RemovalsLandscapingFencingPaintingPressure WashingDriveway CleaningPatio CleaningDecking CleaningPath & Walkway CleaningCommercial Pressure Washing Service Areas IrvineKilwinningSaltcoatsStevenstonArdrossanLargsDalryWest KilbrideBeithKilbirnieDreghornFairlieKilmarnockStewartonDundonaldTroonAyrPrestwick © 2026 Roots and Lawns Gardening Services. All rights reserved. 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