Copper beech hedge losing leaves early this year

Our hedge is 8 years old and about 7ft high. It was pruned in August as usual. There are plenty of leaves at the top but 80% of the sides have hardly any leaves so we can see through the hedge this year.
Why would this be?
? warmer autumn followed by cold snap and strong winds in October
The photo shows part of the hedge in summer 3 years ago.

 

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Could also be the lack of light in the spring, they were saying on Gardeners Question Time a few weeks back about leaves growing next to street lights holding on longer than others.

 

I was also informed if we have a dry summer it can effect the amount of leaves it retains over the Autumn & Winter

 

And there was a very dry bit in the middle.

Odd how a Beech Hedge can retain leaves, but you never see a fully clad tree in the winter.

 

Only happens on plants that remain in "immature" state. Hornbeam do the same thing, and of course Eucalyptus can be forced to retain their juvenile foliage by pollarding / pruning.

 

Aah, that makes sense Kristen

 

I don't have an answer for you but my own experience to share.
I have a copper beech hedge along one side of the house. It's a fairly old hedge, so I'm told, that I inherited when I bought the house.
It is also maintained at a manageable 7ft tall. It is fairly bushy the top 1/3rd but the lower third is generally rather thin and only just creates enough foliage to block out the view of the next door garden spring-autumn. I have tried various things over the years to try to make it busher lower down (two top trimmings a year, an aggressive top trim) with not much success. I was told that mature copper beech hedges do get 'leggy' with age no matter how much care you take of them. I'm not that experienced with hedges, but that is what a couple of old timers have told me.
Where I live has some fairly stiff winds that cut across my garden in winter time which I'm also told the beeches don't much like.
If you do find a way to get yours bushier again lower down, please let me know!

Good luck
GG

 

A "batter" might help ... but I reckon you could have to chop it down low, and get it to bush up as it regrew - which would be a huge exercise, plus a longish wait for it to regrow.

I think key is:

• Plant a double, rather than single, row
• Make sure that it is pinched out as it grows to encourage bushy growth - that way it is "well thick" at the bottom, and should then stay like that (if it gets enough light - from a conservative Batter)