Cutting back a new native hedge

bob skunkhouse

Hi,
Should the following plants be cut back hard(or cut back at all)when planted(newly planted)

Guelder rose
Wild rose
Spindle
Hazel
Holly
Black/whitethorn(i believe hese should be to make a thicker hedge)
Elder
Crabapple.

They've been planted in double row.

Thk

looksee

It depends on what you want the final hedge to look like. Do you want the crabapples to be trees, for example? I would not cut crabapple back, and I think I would be inclined to leave the holly too, and also the wild rose, but for different reasons.

I think you have it right - cut the ones you want to be bushy. They all grow in the wild, if you want a tall, naturally wild looking hedge then let them go, if you want something bushier then cut them back. If you cut everything back all the same you will get a kind of formal look which would be a pity with the plants you have.

That's just a 'gut feeling' rather than experience.

KAGY

The traditional way to manage native hedgerows is to rip it to shreds with a flail or circular saw, making sure to cut at least halfway into any mature tree you want to keep. At least that's the way its done around here.
But seriously, howrecently have they been planted? And how old are they. I'd be inclined to let saplings get a good root system before chopping.

Btw the real traditional way was to let the trees become semimature, a few years at least, cut halfway through the trunk at an angle then lay it over on itsside. The tree would keep growing and the hedge was now stock proof and thicker.

looksee

My sense with planting young bushes etc is that you cut them back to encourage them to grow thicker low down, but also with newly planted bushes to reduce the amount of top that the root system has to support. This is especially true if there is any leafy growth, it would not be so relevant in the winter.

As to laying hedges, many of the plants that the OP has planted would not be suitable for laying, it is mostly done with hawthorn, blackthorn and hazel.

Oldtree

want a wild native hedge? let them go free.....
let them settle in for a few years then prune the odd bit here and there to straighten up if you want a more hedgy hedge as against a hedgerow.

secman

If you want a bushy thick hedge, cut it back half way at least. We have a native hedge, very simialar in make up to yours and the neighbour , who works in Coilte has been advising us to cut it back hard ( by at least half for the last 5 years). Its thickening up nicely now and gets nice and full in the spring/summer. We have already cut it back by about a foot in late August, but it needs a trimming again to tidy it up for next year.. Our aim to to keep it at about the height of the stock fence it fronts.

good luck with it.

Secman

bob skunkhouse

Thanks all.....

Basically what I'm after is a semi formal hedge - bit uneven here, bit uneven there, about 5' high or so in the end. I see some of rural hedges about have gaps all over them that every lamb and its mother could get through. Farmer friends have told me that so long as theres decent thickness, then its enough of a deterrent to keep most wandering livestock out.

So basically a thick(from near ground up) semi formal looking hedge is what I'm after. I'm not after a "laid" hedge? In relation to a question posted earlier, plants were planted yesterday and finished today.

mongolianyurt

secman wrote: »

If you want a bushy thick hedge, cut it back half way at least. We have a native hedge, very simialar in make up to yours and the neighbour , who works in Coilte has been advising us to cut it back hard ( by at least half for the last 5 years). Its thickening up nicely now and gets nice and full in the spring/summer. We have already cut it back by about a foot in late August, but it needs a trimming again to tidy it up for next year.. Our aim to to keep it at about the height of the stock fence it fronts.

good luck with it.

Secman

I'm just about to prune native hedge we planted in February. It has mix mentioned above...so just to get this right secman, you cut all growth of plants back by half including crab apple and holly??? And its thickening it up since you've planted it? Thanks!

secman

mongolianyurt wrote: »

I'm just about to prune native hedge we planted in February. It has mix mentioned above...so just to get this right secman, you cut all growth of plants back by half including crab apple and holly??? And its thickening it up since you've planted it? Thanks!

When we planted the hedge it was basically 2 rows of quick s/ slips. That was 5 years ago. Having followed the neighbours instructions , last summer we had a fine bushy hedge. It now has good height and depth (width). We have already trimmed it back late august but it needs a bit more work before spring . The single biggest difficulty was keeping the grass from smothering the hedge. After trying various methods to do so, we had to bite the bullet and scrubbed out all the grass and put down tree bark under the hedge. This helped it enormously to get established . Being 75 meters long it took 3 one ton bags of it !

Best of luck with it


secman

bob skunkhouse

Hi Guys,

Just a quick follow up and subsequent question.
Of all the plants planted, only one holly bush died. I couldn't believe the growth in some of the plants especially the roses, with some branches growing over a metre through the Summer/Autumn. I cut the 'hedge' plants back by half and left the trees to grow naturally.
They've all thickened out nicely - in fact, that’s my problem! The Elder bush has gone nuts with growth. I don’t think I'd be exaggerating if I said it's doubled in size in the year and a bit. Anyways, I'm reading that late winter/spring should have been the best time for pruning it back, but as we've past that time of year it’s too late now. My concern is, is that it's blocking light out from the rest of the plants - particularly some hazel which it's just engulfed.

Can I prune it back now (flowers are only starting to form now - I think!) or will this do damage to the plants?

I guess I learned one lesson - in a hedge approx 35mtrs long, 2 - maybe 3 Elder is sufficient. Saying that, the supplier stuck them in. Still, no harm done really.

Thanks,
Bob.

KAGY

bob skunkhouse wrote: »

Can I prune it back now (flowers are only starting to form now - I think!) or will this do damage to the plants?

I guess I learned one lesson - in a hedge approx 35mtrs long, 2 - maybe 3 Elder is sufficient. Saying that, the supplier stuck them in. Still, no harm done really.

Thanks,
Bob.

Hi Bob. I think the reason to cut then it's to prevent a check in growth as the plant has the food stored in the roots in preparation for winter. You should be okay. Don't cut all the branches the same length but thin it out by removing some altogether - i think it looks more natural