Gardeners must do one thing before carrying out common August task

Summer is typically prime time to give your hedges a trim – but experts warn that one important task should be completed first.

With the burst of warm weather and abundance of sunshine, many gardeners are noticing their bushes growing faster and fuller. A downside is that this can quickly make gardens look untamed if they aren’t trimmed properly. However, you need to be careful about when you trim your hedges as it can impact local wildlife, including birds.

Many birds like to build their nests in hedges, as they offer suitable protection, shelter and building materials. Plus, they also serve as a natural camouflage for their vulnerable chicks.

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Trimming a hedge too early in the year can be dangerous for these young nesting birds, as many won’t have flown the nest yet. Disrupting a nest can interfere with a bird’s reproductive cycle and even lead to them abandoning their young.

Equally, it’s important to remember that it is a legal offence to harm nesting birds, or their eggs, under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. This means once you discover a nest you aren’t allowed to harm it.

Experts from Gardener’s World advise: “Blackbirds and thrushes often continue nesting surprisingly late, well into August, so check your hedges for nests before cutting and wait until this season’s broods have definitely flown before you trim.”

Once you’re confident that the hedges are empty, then you can give them a trim as this way you won’t harm any birds or nests – or break the law.

Another way you can help birds this summer is by leaving out a tub of mud. It might sound weird, but the reason why this is important is because house martins can use it during dry spells to repair their nests.

Thirdly, you can also make life easier for birds by holding back when it comes to deadheading roses. This is because they develop hips which can be eaten by birds in winter when other food sources are scarce.

You should also be on the lookout for your hedgehogs this August. Gardener's World suggests leaving out dishes of water and meat-based dog or cat food for hedgehogs, so they can fatten up before going into hibernation in autumn.

On a similar note, Gardener's World recommend taking care to leave seedheads on plants such as teasels, lavender and Verbena bonariensis. This is because they can provide sustenance for birds and small mammals.