it all depends, if it has been previously sheared it can usually be taken down to the point of the old cuts with power shears, if the woody stems are thick to the point that they start to bog down the shears, then you don't want to force them, as this could damage them, and make ugly cuts, in this case i'll use nips, loppers or pole pruner depending on the thickness of the stem and the overall thicknesss of the hedge. at some point, its necessary to use a handsaw, or even chainsaw, it all depends on the hedge. whatever the scenario, it's useful to establish a rythym with placement and re setting of the orchard ladder in order to affect as much material as possible from one work station without having to back track. sometimes I'll work one side as far as i can reach in and then hit the other side likewise , hopefully meeting in the middle. For real beast of hedges it is necesarry to climb the individual plants in order to work the tops from the middle. care should be taken to distribute your weight so as not to crack any branches therefore knocking a hole in the hedge. One helpful tip if the hedge is very wide and tall, the most critical point is that the outer upper edge is straight and flat, the interior can actually be cut slightly concave to the outer edge, that is a few inches lower, or slightly staggered, in most applications. I will usually rough out the sides before i do the top in order to get as much weight off the plant initially as possible and t give myself a little extra room to work. hope this helps...
