Thomson Hedge Pruning & Trimming
Hedge trimming, shaping and hard reductions in Thomson — privacy screens up to 10 m, formal hedges, every clipping taken away.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Hedge pruning and trimming in Thomson, done properly
A hedge trim in Thomson (3219) is easy for us to schedule — once a year for most screens, twice for formal hedges and fast growers. Api quotes it free, and the same crew comes back each time so the shape stays consistent.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Whittington (about a kilometre), Breakwater (about a kilometre), Newcomb (2 km), so a job in Thomson is often paired with one next door. 1 of the reviews on this site are from customers in Whittington, Breakwater and Newcomb, next door to Thomson.
Pruning, as opposed to trimming, is for hedge plants that flower or fruit: we time the cut to the plant so you do not lose next year’s flowers, and prune by hand where shears would spoil it.
A hard reduction is different from a trim: we take the height and width back to where you want them, cutting into older wood where the species can handle it, then shape what is left. Some hedges bounce back in a season; others need a second lighter cut to fill in. Api will tell you which you have.
Hedge Pruning & Trimming in Thomson — what we do
Tall privacy hedges
Screens and boundary hedges up to 10 m, from platforms.
Formal hedges
String-lined faces, level tops, crisp corners.
Hard reductions
Overgrown hedges brought back to a workable size.
Clippings removed
Chipped and taken away; nothing left on the drive.
A tip from Api
Do not cut a hedge hard in a Thomson heatwave: the freshly exposed inner foliage scorches and takes a season to recover. Late winter or early autumn is the time for the big cuts.
The full service pages: Hedge Trimming and Green Waste Removal — every one available in Thomson.
Guides from Api: Affordable hedge trimming in Melbourne: what drives the price and how to keep it down · When to trim hedges in Melbourne: a season-by-season maintenance schedule
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Thomson?
Thomson is in the City of Greater Geelong area, and that decides whether a permit is needed before a tree comes down.
Greater Geelong is one of the councils without a private-tree local law: when it reviewed tree protection on private land in 2024 its officers recommended strengthening the planning scheme and asking the state for a state-wide approach rather than a local law or a significant-tree overlay.
That state-wide approach arrived in September 2025 as Clause 52.37. The council publishes its own guide: a canopy tree is more than 5 m tall with a trunk over 0.5 m around at 1.4 m and a canopy of at least 4 m; a permit is needed to remove one anywhere on a vacant residential lot, or within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary where a house already stands. Council officers may assess the application only against the clause’s own purpose and decision guidelines, and a replacement tree — at least 6 m tall and 4 m wide at maturity — is the usual condition.
Vegetation and heritage overlays on the title apply on top, especially along the Barwon and the coast.
Source: City of Greater Geelong — trees on private property. Read 13 September 2026; councils change their local laws, so Api checks the current rule when he quotes.
Across Victoria since 15 September 2025
Clause 52.37 Canopy Trees
A canopy tree is a tree more than 5 m tall, with a trunk circumference over 0.5 m at 1.4 m above the ground and a canopy at least 4 m across. In a residential zone a planning permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop one in a residential zone if the lot is vacant, or, where there is an existing house, if any part of the trunk is within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary.
Dead trees, emergency and safety works, maintenance pruning and listed weed species are exempt; councils usually condition a permit on planting a replacement canopy tree, and most decide these through VicSmart in about ten business days.
What this means for you: tell Api where the tree sits on the block and he will tell you whether a permit is needed before anything is cut — and where one is, we can prepare the arborist assessment the application needs.
Hedge trimming jobs by Api and the crew
Real jobs, real photos — Api, the crew and the truck, across the Geelong region. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What customers near Thomson say
Jesse F
Geelong · Nov 2022
Quick to respond with quote, able to get to the job promptly, site was left clean and undamaged with the tree over hanging a fence. Would highly recommend them.
Hedge trimming around Thomson
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in Thomson
Tree services made easy
At Aps Tree Removal, we simplify the tree and hedge removal experience with a clear, step-by-step approach.
Contact us
Want to learn more? Call 0422 856 090 or send the form and speak with Api.
Get a quote
Getting a quote is quick, easy, and free.
On-site inspection
A quick, thorough site assessment — species, access and risks.
Professional removal
Clean and safe work, chipped and cleaned up — no mess, no hassle.
What clients across the Geelong region say
Siva Sankar
4 Dec 2024
Just Fab, Awesome job. Thank you for your work.
Emily Cavka
3 Dec 2024
I had 3 trees removed and I am very happy with their work.
Harrison singh
19 Nov 2024
Api is very professional and reliable. I have used his services few times and he has always exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend his services.
Sonny Reyes
14 Oct 2024
Very professional. The best job done at reasonable price. Thank you so much!
Suhair Bdeiwe
3 Oct 2024
Great service, I highly recommend them.
Ian Rogers
3 Oct 2024
Very happy with Api and his team with the removal of a very large jacaranda tree and several yucca trees. Always on time and provided advice on tasks…
Graciela Marinaro
26 Sept 2024
The guys were fantastic, very helpful with great customer service. I needed a very tall she oak removed in between my other plants, the guys were very…
Daniel M
26 Sept 2024
Api was a pleasure to deal with from the first call. He came the same day to have a look at the trees which needed to be cut and provided a very compe…
mikep p
25 Sept 2024
Two trees and stumps removed and site cleanup afterwards at a very reasonable price. Professional and friendly staff. Apps Tree Removal should be your…
Em
13 Sept 2024
Had Api come and trim back some out of control trees on our new property to a maintainable level, looks fantastic and he and his team were prompt, tid…
Mostafa Haroun
12 Sept 2024
API came through to our house with his team and gave us a quote for the work that we where happy with. When he was done we where so greatful and appre…
MonS S
4 Sept 2024
Exceptional service. Api and the team chopped and mulched trees and cleaned up to leave the yard immaculate. Highly recommend!
Thomson Hedge Pruning & Trimming — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Thomson?
Greater Geelong has no local law for trees on private land — its 2024 review chose not to introduce one — so the test is the state canopy-tree clause: a planning permit for a canopy tree on a vacant residential lot, or one near the front or rear boundary of a lot with a house, decided through VicSmart in about ten business days. Overlays on the title still apply. Across Victoria, Clause 52.37 Canopy Trees also applies since 15 September 2025: a planning permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop one in a residential zone if the lot is vacant, or, where there is an existing house, if any part of the trunk is within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary. Api checks both at the quote.
How much does hedge trimming cost in Thomson?
By the job, quoted on site, free. Tell Api the height you want and whether you would like it on a yearly schedule; repeat customers pay less per visit because the hedge never gets away.
How long does it take?
A few hours for a standard trim. Reductions take longer and may need a second visit the following season to tidy the regrowth.
Can you get in if the access is tight?
Yes. Hedges on the boundary of a side path are the most common job we do in Thomson; we work from the accessible side and from platforms where the path is too narrow.
What happens to the waste?
Clippings removal is part of every hedge quote — it is the half of the job nobody wants to do themselves.
My hedge is bare at the bottom and too tall — can it be fixed?
Usually. Most hedge species will regrow from older wood if they are reduced in stages and the top is narrowed so light reaches the base. Cypress is the exception — it does not regrow from bare wood, so it can only be shaped, not restored. Api will tell you which you have.