How to cut a hedge with a chainsaw is one of the important tips that this old house has.

Leggy, scraggly, spindly and unkempt.It's not a call for the cast of a fairy tale.If you're like most people, it's the perfect description for that sad-looking hedge.

Rows of shrubs are a great way to define borders and boundary lines, keep children and pets in, and give birds food and shelter.Like all shrubs, hedges need regular maintenance.The last area where most of us really lose it is when we forget to give roots a drink in hot weather or tofertilize with a good formula.

Roger Cook says that a lot of people are intimidated by pruning, but it's a science anyone can master.You have to learn a few basics.

Using shears to take off branch tips keeps hedges neat and tidy, and also stimulates bud production near the plants' edges.

A shrub can get so thick that sunlight can't penetrate it, preventing interior growth.A hedge that gets larger each year looks lifeless inside.Pruning allows sunlight to get in and allows you to cut back shrubs so they don't get too big.

At each shearing, be sure to use hand shears to create spaces in the hedge for light and air.Just above a nub or leaflet that's growing in a direction you want to encourage, reach inside and clip a branch or two at a 45 degree angle.

The three-year rule applies if a hedge is old and overgrown.The next year, and the year after, remove up to one-third of the thickest stems from the plant.This will leave you with a shrub that is smaller.

If you're cutting back a lot, hedges should be trimmed in late winter."You want the plant's energy to go toward producing new growth where you want it, so you don't want them to break bud before you cut it," says Roger.It will take longer for the hedge to fill out if you take off a plant's buds.

Because they're generally slower-growing, they need to be trimmed early in the season, where interior cuts have been made, and off-color at the tips as new growth starts to show.

Deficiency hedge plants such as privet, spirea, and viburnum are more tolerant.When it comes to flowering shrubs, the golden rule is to wait until the day after blooms turn brown, so that the plant has time to set buds for next year.

Most hedges will widen at the top, where they get the most sunlight.The V shape shades out lower branches so they produce less foliage.Roger says you want to turn that V upside down.Whether the top is flat, pointed, or rounded, a sheared hedge should always be wider at the bottom.

Start at the bottom and work your way up.For absolute precision cutting, you can run a string line between stakes to ensure an even line along the top, but Roger prefers to rely on his eye for a more natural look.

Once you buzz-cut the top of a plant, it is more prone to snow damage because it won't shed snow as quickly.It's a good idea to tie up tall hedges with rope or chain lock rather than hose-covered wire, which can girdle the trunks if left on too long.

If you're starting from scratch, choose plants that lend themselves to making a hedge, as the words 'columnar' or 'fastigiate' indicate that kind of growing habit.

yew, privet, and boxwood are shrubs that need to tolerate shearing and frequent pruning.The minimum width for a hedge is 3 feet.Keeping your hedge at eye level will make it easier to maintain, but if you want to get to the upper reaches, you'll have to climb a ladder.