Hedge restoration — bring a tired, gappy or neglected hedge back to life.

Depends on the species. Griselinia, photinia red robin, pittosporum, lilly pilly and laurel will regenerate from old wood given the right reduction and feeding. Conifers like cedar, leylandii and some natives won't push new growth from brown wood — for those, restoration has limits and we'll be straight with you about it.

Typically 12–18 months across 2–3 visits. Stage one is the structural reduction; stages two and three are shaping trims as new growth comes through. You see meaningful improvement after the first visit and a transformed hedge by the end.

Usually yes, often dramatically. Removal + plants + planting + 3 years to mature is a multi-thousand-dollar exercise. Restoration keeps the size and screening you already have and rebuilds the rest. We'll quote both options if it's borderline.

We'll inspect before quoting. Lean from one-sided pruning or wind loading we can often correct with reduction and bracing. Root rot, severe undermining or terminal disease usually means removal — and we'll tell you that rather than take your money on a job that won't work.

Stage one is honest about it — a heavily reduced hedge looks bare for a few weeks. By 6–8 weeks new growth is breaking, and by 6 months the shape is filling. Most clients say the temporary look is a fair trade for keeping a 20-year-old hedge.

A reduction is a one-off cut back to a target size. Restoration is the multi-stage programme to rebuild a hedge's health, density and shape, often including a reduction as the first step plus feeding, replanting gaps and follow-up trims.