Young Beech Hedge

Dont know if I've put this in the right section, Sorry if not.

My problem is I plant a beech hedge last Autumn, the plants are a couple of foot tall, at Christmas my dad told me to prune them back to 2 shoots to make it bush out. Just been out to do this and it looks like a lot to cut off.

Any advise please I want the hedge to grow about 5 feet and be thick, we've off set planted them

Thank Kirsty

 

Hi Kirsty

I woudnt do that with beach cut them down to two shoots , you do that if ita quickthorn/hawthorn sorry to say your dad is wrong.

You are meant to just shape the sides not cut out the lead branch, with beach once its reached the height you leave it grow another foot then cut down to the height you want following year , I see you are not on forum at the moment I hope you havnt cut them down

You need patience with beech for them to settle in and grow , they are shallow rooted so keep well waterd this summer every week give them a good drink , I wooudnt bother with a feed this year let the roots get away into the soil looking for food.

Spruce

 

I've been advised to cut the lead shot off on mine. I haven't done it yet and I'm not sure if I will. There is a brand new beech hedge just down the road from me, where a new school has been built. I've noticed that all their young beech trees have nice clean cuts where their lead growing tip should be.

 

On my new Beech hedges I take out the leading bud (at the top, and on every side shoot) for the first 3 or 4 years (until it becomes too much of a pain, by which time the hedge is tall & thick enough not to need it)

Don't take out the tip at the top on Yew - you need a strong leader for them.

Hawthorn and that sort of thing the recommendation is to cut down by 1/3rd each year for the first few years - makes a much better, thicker, hedge (otherwise it will be very bare at the bottom)

Chuck some Nitrogen on your Beech hedge just before the buds break, that will give you a lot more "stretch" in the first flush, which will give you more height, more quickly, over the first few years. Don't go overboard in the first year, the thing will be trying to get established, but you can be "generous" from year 2 onwards (but too much Nitrogen will do more harm than good, so don't go loopy!)

 

I had a similar problem about 8 years ago now, I had thought about using Beech to create a hedge until some one told me the ground would not support the Beech. I asked them whether there was any alternatives, to which they said Hornbeam on clay would be better.
This has been a learning curve for me as I did not know that they were from the same family but one could grow in clay and the other in loamy soil.

Now my hedge is thick and full of wildlife, which is my thinking that you would like the same in time.
Allow the hedge to grow and as already been told do not do to much until the height is attained.
Just keep the sides in check and let nature take you along on its merry road. In time you will have a hedge that even your dad will enjoy.

I have had comments asked of the hedge in the way of 'Are you going to lay the hedge to get more in the way of wildlife into it' to which I have stated that I would like to do this and will when the hedge has matured enough.
This will not keep the cattle or any farmed animal out, more like the local hooligans and their cars from hitting the house as they like to speed.
As was told me many years ago, a good layed hedge will last generations and would do better than any fence put up on the cheap.

I shall be looking to do the same with Hawthorn along the side in time and thus improve the wildlife in the area.
To the side of the house we have a farm track and on the other side we have a variety of trees which are over 100 years old now.
So with all the greenery I think I would like more.
Good luck with the hedge and enjoy what comes along to pick over the table of goodies which can be had in the hedge.
One final tip, Keep the ground below the hedge clear of weeds and other plant life until the hedge matures a bit. That way Elder, bramble and bind weed do not take over a what will be your hedge.

 

I don't think that Hornbeam and Beech are from the same family (but I may be wrong).

They are similar - in that they keep their leaves, after then brown in Autumn, through the winter, but Beech will hold onto them better than Hornbeam.

Of the two I would prefer Beech, its leaves are smoother, and I think it looks smarter. But Beech hates having wet, cold, feet in Winter, Hornbeam isn't fussy. So on heavy ground Hornbeam is more likely to be reliable. I've got a Copper Beech hedge here (no purple-leaves Hornbeam available) but all the rest are Hornbeam rather than Beech (well, apart from the Yew, Box, Holly and Holm Oak hedges!)

Laying a hedge is a technique used to thicken it up and, indeed, to make it stock-proof (or hooligan proof!), but it is usually only necessary if a hedge has been neglected and particularly if it is bare at the bottom, or along stretches. It shouldn't be necessary (i would think??) for a hedge that has been carefully "nipped" as it establishes so that it thickens up well and the finished product is a nice, thick, hedge for tip-to-toe. Of course farmers don't have time to do that for mile-upon-mile of hedge around their fields, and over time field-hedges can become a bit threadbare, so it was traditionally more common to "lay" the hedge to reinvigorate it and make sure it was stock-proof.

Its quite an extensive (labour intensive) process unless you are planning to have a go yourself

 

I'll just take the tops out and the tips of the side shoots , thought dad was wrong I'd end up with no hedge left :lol:

 

I stand corrected, They are not of the same family one is
Common hornbeam Carpinus betulus

and the other is

<H1>Common beech Fagus sylvatica

</H1>Thanks for putting me in my place

 

Different Genus for sure, but they may still be in the same family - I ain't checked :thumb:

 

OK, I have now checked

Hornbeam is Betulaceae and Beech is Fagaceae

So not even cousins!