An overgrown shrub in Dutch John isn’t just a looks problem. With around 44 inches of snow a year, wide, top heavy hedges collect heavy snow that splits branches and flatten whole sections. Shrubs crowding walks and windows block light, trap drifts, and make it harder to keep paths clear all winter.
We trim with the climate in mind. That means shaping hedges slightly narrower at the top so snow slides off, thinning dense shrubs so air and light reach the inside, cutting back growth from walks, windows, and siding, and removing dead or broken wood. Because Dutch John is a planned stop on our route, we group trimming visits around the right seasonal windows and haul every clipping away.
We trim for Dutch John's heavy snow and short season, shaping shrubs so winter weight slides off instead of splitting them.
Hedge trimmers, hand pruners, loppers, and pole saws let us handle everything from low borders to tall privacy hedges.
If a shrub can't be saved or is the wrong plant for the spot, we'll say so plainly and explain your options.
We rake clippings out of beds and lawn, blow off walks, and haul every branch away before leaving your property.
Most hedge trimming advice is written for places that see a dusting of snow. Dutch John averages about 44 inches a year, and January lows around 13°F mean that snow can sit on shrubs for weeks without melting. A hedge sheared flat and wide on top acts like a shelf. Snow piles up, the weight spreads the branches apart, and by spring you have gaps and splits that take years to fill back in.
We shape hedges so the base is a little wider than the top. That lets light reach the lower branches, keeps the bottom full, and helps snow slide off instead of building up.
At about 6,454 feet, shrubs leaf out late and have only a few months to put on growth. That makes timing important. Here’s how we usually plan the year:
We avoid heavy cuts late in the season, since new growth pushed out in fall doesn’t have time to harden before the cold hits.
Dutch John sits a good distance up US-191 from our base, so we plan trimming as scheduled work rather than quick drop in visits. Most customers get one or two trimming trips a year, lined up with the windows above. It’s easy to pair trimming with other work on the same visit. In fall, for example, trimming fits right in with fall leaf and yard cleanups so the property goes into winter clean and cut back.
Shearing gives a crisp, formal edge, but doing it year after year makes a shrub thick on the outside and bare in the middle. Thinning cuts select branches back to the base or to a side branch, opening up the inside so light and air can get in. In a dry climate with strong sun, a healthy interior helps shrubs handle stress better. Most yards get a mix of both, with formal hedges sheared and informal shrubs thinned for a natural shape. We’ll talk through which approach fits each plant. Junipers, for example, don’t regrow from bare wood, so they get light, careful cuts, while lilacs and many other common shrubs bounce back well from a harder thinning.
Dutch John has been around since the Bureau of Reclamation started building it in 1957, and some yards have shrubs that have had years to outgrow their space. Badly overgrown shrubs can often be brought back over two or three seasons by removing a portion of the oldest stems each year. Sometimes, though, a shrub is too far gone or is the wrong plant for the spot. Russian olive and tamarisk, which spread in from ditches and waterways, are a common example. Once they turn into thickets, our brush and overgrowth clearing service is the better tool for the job.
Freshly trimmed shrubs show off whatever is around them, good or bad. If the beds underneath are full of weeds or bare dirt, the whole area still looks unfinished. After trimming, many customers add a fresh layer of bark or rock to tie things together and hold moisture at the roots. Our bark mulch and rock bed installation can be scheduled on the same trip, so the beds and shrubs look finished together.
Ready to get your shrubs in shape before the snow flies? Call us and we’ll take a look, recommend the right timing, and get your Dutch John property on the trimming schedule.
We walk your shrubs and hedges, note snow damage and overgrowth, and ask how formal or natural you want them shaped.
You get a free written quote listing which shrubs we'll trim, how, and which seasonal window fits them best.
Our crew shapes, thins, and cuts back on your scheduled trip, removing dead wood and keeping walks and windows clear.
We walk the finished shrubs with you, confirm the shape looks right, and suggest when the next trim should happen.
