A hedge is a privacy screen, a windbreak and a habitat all at once – but only if it is cut regularly and cut properly. Left alone too long, it goes bare at the base, grows out over the footpath or becomes too tall for the neighbours. Gala Bau Kurt takes on hedge trimming and shrub care for private gardens, blocks of flats and commercial properties in Düsseldorf, Wuppertal, Schwelm, Ennepetal, Meerbusch, Cologne and throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.
We cut every type of hedge the way that species can take it, we load the clippings up and take them with us – and you know the fixed price per linear metre before we start. Happy to talk it through in English as well as German and Turkish.
What we do for hedges and woody plants
From the yearly shaping cut to a brand-new hedge.
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Shaping cuts
Both sides plus the top, cut to a slight taper so the hedge stays dense all the way down.
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Hard cutbacks & rejuvenation
Hedges that have grown too wide or gone woody are brought back to size in the winter half-year, or cut right down to the stump where the species allows.
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Tall hedges
Thuja and laurel walls up to around 4 m with telescopic shears, ladder or scaffolding – on sloping plots too.
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Shrub and woody plant pruning
Thinning out forsythia, lilac and dogwood, and cutting back ornamental shrubs.
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Planting or removing a hedge
New planting with hornbeam, yew or cherry laurel – or the removal of an old hedge, roots and all.
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Disposal & clearing up
Sheets laid out, clippings loaded up, paths and beds swept clean before we leave.
How we cut hedges properly
A good hedge cut starts with the shape: we cut hedges to a taper – slightly wider at the bottom than at the top. That way the lower branches get light as well and the hedge stays dense right down to the soil. Height and line are set with a taut string line so that the edge runs dead straight.
Every species tolerates something different. Hornbeam and beech we cut at the end of June, after the midsummer growth flush (Johannistrieb), and again in February if needed. Thuja and false cypress must never be cut back into the old brown wood – they will not reshoot from it. Cherry laurel gets loppers rather than the hedge trimmer, because shredded leaves turn brown. Yew, privet and hornbeam, by contrast, will take a radical rejuvenation cut in winter.
When may you cut a hedge? The law and neighbour rights
Under § 39 (5) of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (Bundesnaturschutzgesetz, BNatSchG), it is prohibited from 1 March to 30 September to cut hedges back hard, cut them down to the stump or grub them out – to protect nesting birds. Gentle shaping and maintenance cuts that remove only the season's new growth remain permitted all year. Before every summer cut we check the hedge for occupied nests; heavy cutbacks and removals we schedule for October to February.
Neighbour law counts too: the North Rhine-Westphalian Neighbour Rights Act (Nachbarrechtsgesetz NRW) requires a boundary distance of 0.50 m for hedges up to 2 m high and 1 m for taller hedges; overhanging growth may be cut off by the neighbour once they have given you a deadline (§ 910 BGB). Single trees standing within a hedge can fall under the local tree protection by-law (Baumschutzsatzung) – in Düsseldorf and Cologne from 80 cm trunk circumference, in Wuppertal from 100 cm, where yews are expressly included. We check this on site and submit the application for you where one is needed.
Hedge trimming in Wuppertal, Düsseldorf, Cologne & NRW
In the Bergisches Land – Wuppertal, Schwelm, Ennepetal – hedges grow enormously fast on 1,100 to 1,200 mm of rain a year; on sloping plots cherry laurel and thuja easily put on half a metre in a season. A second cut at the end of August often makes sense here, and on steep banks we work from scaffolding rather than a ladder.
On the Rhine plain – Düsseldorf, Meerbusch, Cologne – the summers are drier and the soils sandier; brown patches in thuja and laurel hedges are usually drought stress here, not a cutting mistake. In Meerbusch-Büderich or Düsseldorf-Oberkassel the job is typically long formal hedges around large plots, in Cologne the front gardens of blocks of flats. The drive from the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis via the A1 and A46 takes 20 to 60 minutes.
Claiming hedge trimming against your tax
Hedge trimming at your home counts as a household-related service (haushaltsnahe Dienstleistung): 20 % of the labour costs, up to €4,000 a year, come straight off your income tax bill under the German Income Tax Act (§ 35a EStG). Planting a new hedge or grubbing one out counts instead as a tradesman's service, at 20 % up to €1,200 a year. We show labour and travel costs separately on the invoice – please pay by bank transfer rather than in cash.
How your hedge cut works
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Enquiry with a photo
A WhatsApp photo of the hedge with its rough length and height is often enough for a guide price.
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Site visit & fixed price
For larger hedges we come round free of charge to check species, condition, access and nests, and give you the fixed price per metre.
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An appointment at the right time
Shaping cuts June to September, hard cutbacks October to February – we suggest the window that suits your hedge.
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Cutting, disposal, handover
Sheets laid out, hedge cut, clippings loaded up, the area handed back clean – with a firm slot booked for next year if you like.
What does hedge cutting cost per metre?
The price depends on height, width, species, how accessible the hedge is and how much material comes off. Non-binding guide figures incl. VAT; the fixed price follows the site visit:
| Scope of work | Costs & Prices |
|---|---|
| Shaping cut up to 2 m high (both sides + top) | approx. €6–15 per linear metre |
| Hedge trimming 2–3 m high | approx. €12–25 per linear metre |
| Tall hedge over 3 m (scaffolding) | approx. €25–45 per linear metre |
| Hard cutback / rejuvenation | approx. €15–25 per linear metre |
| Planting a hedge incl. plants | approx. €15–40 per linear metre |
| Disposal of clippings | approx. €30–100 flat rate |
| Annual package (2 cuts incl. disposal) | approx. €200–600 per year |
From around 20 m of hedge length the price per metre comes down; travel within our core service area is included.
All figures are non-binding guide prices incl. VAT. The final price depends on area, access, materials and effort. You will receive a binding fixed-price quote after a free on-site visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
When may you cut a hedge – is it banned in summer?
A hard cutback, cutting down to the stump and grubbing out are prohibited from 1 March to 30 September (§ 39 Bundesnaturschutzgesetz). A gentle shaping and maintenance cut that removes only the year's new growth is allowed all year round – provided no birds are nesting in it. We check that before every summer cut.
What does hedge cutting cost per metre?
For a hedge up to 2 m high, roughly €6–15 per linear metre incl. VAT; over 3 m with scaffolding, €25–45. A hard cutback costs about €15–25 per metre and disposal of the clippings €30–100 as a flat rate. After the free on-site visit you get a fixed-price quote.
How often should a hedge be cut?
Once or twice a year: hornbeam, beech and privet at the end of June after the midsummer growth flush, and again at the end of August or in February if growth is vigorous. Thuja and cherry laurel are usually happy with a single cut in June; rejuvenation cuts belong in the October to February window.
Can a thuja hedge be cut back hard?
Only to a limited extent. Thuja and false cypress do not reshoot from old brown wood – cut too deep and you are left with permanently bare patches. We therefore take back only the green growth each year; if the hedge has simply grown too big, replacing it with yew or hornbeam is often the better solution.
Why is my cherry laurel going brown?
Brown, curled leaves in summer are usually drought stress on the sandy soils of the Rhine plain; in winter it is frost drought. Brown leaf edges immediately after a cut come from the hedge trimmer – which is exactly why we use loppers on cherry laurel.
How tall may a hedge be along the neighbour's boundary?
NRW sets no fixed maximum height, but the Neighbour Rights Act (Nachbarrechtsgesetz NRW) sets boundary distances: 0.50 m for hedges up to 2 m high, 1 m for taller hedges. If that distance is not kept, the neighbour can demand a cutback – we bring boundary hedges back to the right size.