Remove or Cut Back Large Hedge? (Photos)

Hi Ladies and Gents,

My first post here... asking for help. Pretty typical aren't I? Hope you don't mind and can help me...

We have just had an extention finished which over looks lovely views of open fields however there is a HUGE hawthorn hedge totally blocking this view which I believe has been there ever since the house was a school that closed in the 70's.

Can you give me some advice? We want to either remove it and replace it with a new small hedge we can keep under control or cut it right down.

The problem with it being cut down is that it is incredibly wide taking up much garden space in a fairly narrow area.

The problem with cutting it down altogether is the stumps? Do we just plant around them, get them pulled out or stump kill them which takes years!?

What would you do and how would you go about it?





Thanks!!

 

Good evening Brooky and welcome to the site. It looks as if you are in a rural area, so the first thing you need to do is get in touch with the councils` enviromental officer to see if there are any restrictions on what you can do with the hedge. As the hedge is of a native species there MAY be regulations about what you can and cannot do with it.

 

As you appear to be in a lovely rural setting it would probably look really good if it was layered; especially if it was done correctly. It could then be kept to a desired height easily. :thumb:

layered hedge - Google Search

 

Brooky, it looks like the hawthorn is within your boundary fence, so not sure if what Dai says still applies.

 

Sheal, it is still a hedge, and could come under preservation rules. I would also say the hedge was there before the fence,

 

I'd just cut it down to about 4ft, if its hawthorn you wont kill it.

You can then clip it to the desired height as the new growth forms.

As bilbo says layering would be good, but it it doesn't look much like an ancient hedgerow to me, so I wouldn't bother.

I'm thinking it would be much bigger than that had it not been touched since the 70s

 

Just my opinion.

 

Hi brookyI would just cut it down to 4 ft,u would be hurting the wild lifes feeling if u chopped it downall sorts of wild life will be useing and depending on ur hedge row not only is a safe haven from bad weather,full of insects that r a great food source,a place to nest & roost it also fruits in september which is great for birds when the weather is getting colder.Also its great wind protecting for ur garden,i bet when its windy it howles down that hill to ur house. good luck with it what ever u decide to doWhat a lovely setting u live in

 

Wow thanks for your advice everyone.

I don't think we will have any problems removing it or cutting it down lower.

If we did cut it right down to say 4ft would it be easy to make it much narrower on the inside as we want to push it back toward the boundary as far as we can?

We are worried we will end up with a very low wide hedge?

 

If you can afford it I would have someone out to advise on getting it layered. I think a Hawthorn hedge will be skinny at the base if cut back to 4' and allowed to regrow.

Are you sure its Hawthorn? Growth style doesn't look quite like Hawthorn to me, but its obviously hard to tell from a photo :thumb:

 

welcome to the forum

i would also add that such a lovely mature hedge will probably have nesting birds so you might like to delay any work on the hedge until august.


Loopy