Green Beech Hedging trimming

rigaa

i was wondering if anyone could tell me if i should prune my Green beech hedging. i have it planted 2 years now and is growing well in most places in my garden, some of the trees are up to 5 foot already. should I trim the taller trees down this year or will it stun further growth? Ideally i would like a nice thick hedge not necessarily too high though

Andy-Pandy

Without a few pics it is hard to tell you for sure but by trimming a hedge you are stimulating growth and it will fill out and turn into a hedge. Without any trimming they will just be close planted trees and not a hedge.

rigaa

Andy-Pandy wrote: »

Without a few pics it is hard to tell you for sure but by trimming a hedge you are stimulating growth and it will fill out and turn into a hedge. Without any trimming they will just be close planted trees and not a hedge.

I'll get a few pics over next few days and if you could tell me your thought I'd appreciate it. I don't want 1000 green beech trees around my house I want 1 hedge!!

farmchoice

It depends on the size of them when they went in, but if they are up to 5 foot already they should defiantly have been trimmed before now, but if they haven’t make sure and do it this year. I was advised to trim mine towards the end of the summer early autumn but you might be able to trim them now before growth starts I'm not sure.

The secret to a good beech hedge is not to be afraid to take plenty off, at 5 foot at least a foot if some of them are smaller bring take a bit off the smaller ones and bring the bigger ones down to meet them, this will give you a good thick hedge, other wise they will become very stringy as they grow. Don’t worry it wont stunt them they will grow good and tall and thick.
Trim a little every year.

Oldtree

The idea would be to decide on the eventual height and spread of the hedge and to work up to those "faces" by pruning over the years, ie getting the plants to bush out every year to form a thicker and thicker face as it approaches the eventual end face.

I use a sacatures to prune my 50mx7ft (1 green and 1 shorter purple) beech hedge, not usually done, so as not to damage buds and to get a very level undamaged look. It looks fabulous in the spring when the buds open up and I get a lovely green and purple waterfall effect.

rigaa

if i was to start trimming them back now will it do any damage or stun any future growth, like I said above i have them planted from bare root 2 years ago and there are so big variations in the height?

Oldtree

its very difficult to give specific advice without a few pics

Citizenpain

Oldtree wrote: »

The idea would be to decide on the eventual height and spread of the hedge and to work up to those "faces" by pruning over the years, ie getting the plants to bush out every year to form a thicker and thicker face as it approaches the eventual end face.

I use a sacatures to prune my 50mx7ft (1 green and 1 shorter purple) beech hedge, not usually done, so as not to damage buds and to get a very level undamaged look. It looks fabulous in the spring when the buds open up and I get a lovely green and purple waterfall effect.

sounds lovely .. Any pics ?

Oldtree

Citizenpain wrote: »

sounds lovely .. Any pics ?

Posted here in 2012 will post another later in year

rigaa

Oldtree wrote: »

its very difficult to give specific advice without a few pics

I have attached 3 pics there now so maybe if you let me know what you think I should do it would be great

rigaa

Oldtree wrote: »

Posted here in 2012 will post another later in year

How long have you those trees planted?

Oldtree

rigaa wrote: »

How long have you those trees planted?

The hedge is about 10 years in a the photo date. The jackmontii birch were all planted at the same time.

I did not take my own advice and planted largre birch trees and staked them rather than whip size, going for instant impact. Had I planted small trees they would be more advanced then they are now.

The one on the left is the only one of the three that gave me no problems.

The one to the front left after the stake was removed fell over (possible root breakage or just simply that the garden was made up ground and the texture and structure was not there in the soil) and had to be restaked for another few years and is doing ok now.

The skinny one at the back languished for years and has only just recently settled in and I hope to remove the stake this year.

I removed the leaders earlier on to get a more bushy effect. I pruned out lower small branches so that the leaves would only start above the top of hedge giving a view through the birch to the hedge. I have planting circles at the bases which I fill with woodchip every year to keep the mad mower at bay.

The camellia is japonicia a very hardy camellia and has a lovely red flower.

Oldtree

They look like they are doing fine. I don't think too much pruning is needed at the moment, but for now I would go along and remove anything above the bottom of the second rail from the top as detailed below (or the top of that rail). Prune to just above a bud with a sharp sacatures. This will start the process of getting the trees to bush out. You need to decide if you want the hedge to undulate like the top of the fence or to be dead level at the top, or to step down the top of the hedge. Also consider the final height and width.

Norfolk Enchants_

Oldtree wrote: »

They look like they are doing fine. I don't think too much pruning is needed at the moment, but for now I would go along and remove anything above the bottom of the second rail from the top as detailed below (or the top of that rail). Prune to just above a bud with a sharp sacatures. This will start the process of getting the trees to bush out. You need to decide if you want the hedge to undulate like the top of the fence or to be dead level at the top, or to step down the top of the hedge. Also consider the final height and width.

Why would you cut it down so low?, surely the ideal finished height is level with the top of the existing fence or slightly (about 4") above it, and again why would you mimic the top of the rickety fence? the only way to prune this hedge would be level IMO.

farmchoice

Norfolk Enchants_ wrote: »

Why would you cut it down so low?, surely the ideal finished height is level with the top of the existing fence or slightly (about 4") above it, and again why would you mimic the top of the rickety fence? the only way to prune this hedge would be level IMO.

if you want the hedge to be nice and thick at the bottom, its a good idead to prune it back a good bit, it will continue to grow upwards but it should be thicker. just letting the plants grow to the height you finally want them and then starting to prune is not a good idea.

rigaa

Great stuff thats a great help and thanks for your time, i think my ideal height would be over my fence but i raelise ti let my tree grow to the height and then cut back is not the way to go so again thanks for all input

Oldtree

Norfolk Enchants_ wrote: »

Why would you cut it down so low?, surely the ideal finished height is level with the top of the existing fence or slightly (about 4") above it, and again why would you mimic the top of the rickety fence? the only way to prune this hedge would be level IMO.

U need to get the plant to bush out and to continue to prune it over the years preparing for the eventual hedge faces. The fence is a guideline only but if you look further down the fence you will see the ground drops away so the op has options of how they want the top of the hedge to look.

creedp

Oldtree wrote: »

U need to get the plant to bush out and to continue to prune it over the years preparing for the eventual hedge faces. The fence is a guideline only but if you look further down the fence you will see the ground drops away so the op has options of how they want the top of the hedge to look.

Sorry for butting in here but I planted a bare root beech hedge in the 2nd week of March and was wondering when is the best time to trim for the 1st time. The plats are between 60 and 90 cm presently. It is a good idea to give them a minor trim in the 1st year or is is better to let them be for a couple of hears until they develop more.

Also as a matter of interest some of the plant are in hard dry ground adjacent to large ash trees. While certainly not a problem as the minute - how long should they be planted before they wouldn't require watering during a dry spell?