You are advised to use secateurs because the leaves will be unavoidably cut in half if you use an electric hedge cutter and will turn brown. Eventually this damage may weaken the hedge, as such leaves will fall off. Although rather laborious, it is better to use secateurs and cut stems individually. Hopefully someone else can tell you if it is okay to trim in late summer but I would have thought so.

Moon grower is right but....this problem of leaves dropping off is more prevalent if cut during wet weather. If it stays dry for a couple of days during and immediately after cutting, the leaves dry properly at the cut edges forming a seal and they usually stay on in perfect health, at least mine do. I have Prunus laurocerasus 'Etna' which is the more compact form. I use hand shears which cut through leaves but I really have to say that though it goes against the usual practice of cutting with secateurs, it really does looks fine. I always make sure that the forecast is dry ahead though.

I will post a couple of images in my photo's to show some cut leaves that have been cut now for six weeks. They have not gone brown at all.

can you use a shears instead of the secateurs? Surely that'll be a bit faster.

Have a look in my photo's Donna. Just uploaded them so on the first page.

laurals are real tuff i think you could quite happily cut them back almost any time but i think very early spring mite be best .

Hedges are hundreds of years old around here and huge and they thrive on electric cutting. Surely it would have to be a very small hedge and a manageable height to sue secateurs such as box?

We are only talking about laurel here Drc which is not a normal hedgerow hedge.

Thank-you for clarifying that MG - it was mentioned in another hedge pic today so I thought it was the new way for all!

God lord no! I'd go insane cutting the neighbour's leylandii by hand - well I sort of go insane doing it anyway!

Thank you for all your ideas. I really cannot use secateurs so I think maybe I should try hand shears rather than electric and choose a dry period. Can't do it early Spring as the Blackbirds are already nesting then so will risk it end of Summer.

yes like i say its pretty tuff so i wouldnt be to worried about when realy .