Advice on Pleached Hornbeam

Hi, we have some pleached hornbeam that act as a ncie screen. To date, they have just been loosely trimmed at the front and back by the gardener.

I'd like to know 2 things:

1. we have had the hornbeams in our garden for about 3 years - can we now remove the support posts? They are about 12ft in height - when they should be considered 'established' and not needing of the posts/straps?

2. is it time to have them professionally attended and their frames replaced for larger ones (as you can from the photeo they have now outgrown their frames)

many thanks for your advice!

 

Yes after three years you should be fine removing the posts. Re the frames, do you feel you still need them? they are only needed until the growth is mature i.e woody enough to hold the shape required naturally on it’s own

 

Thanks Butterfly6.
I'll remove the posts.
In that case, I don't think the frames are required.

Is now the time to start to entwine them to brdige the gaps?

 

I would have thought they would naturally start to entwine where they meet so my guess would be yes

 

Hi All,

Just thought I'd post new photos to show the extent of the 3 year growth (now without leaves). With the wild growth on top in particular - should they be put on larger frames or just entwined with their neighbours. I guess I'm trying to keep the more uniform rectangular shapes.

 

They'll gradually grow together and become self supporting. All those 'main' branches will get heftier as they mature and thicken up. You would just trim the top and sides to maintain that rectangle, and it will keep thickening in the same way as a conventional hedge would do.
Hornbeam will naturally try to do that, and if left alone, they'd simply become individual, large trees. Pleaching is simply a method of having a hedge on stilts, rather than a conventional one.

I don't know how you'll maintain the other side though, unless you can come to some sort of arrangement with the neighbour. There doesn't seem to be any room between it and the fence.