Pruning a 2 year old beech hedge?

thenashlegend

Hey everyone,

Just wondering what is the best thing to do with this beech hedge? It was planted almost two years ago and I feel it has done well but at this stage its getting a bit tall with very little thickness at the bottom. Some plants are almost five feet while others are back near three feet. Admittedly it suffered last summer with the extreme heat and not enough water which caused some of the leaves to turn brown but they returned again towards the end of the summer. It was planted in good soil with manure mixed in too. It also got a few handfuls of Growmore fertiliser about a month ago but some of it is still on the surface as it hasn't been totally washed in.

I know this is the time of year to prune it and encourage growth lower down but I don't want to do damage to the hedge as this is the second attempt in this location, with the previous Escalonia hedge getting burnt with frost.

As you can see in one of the pictures there is a big gap without many leaves, the trees were staggered in two rows and planted a foot apart but one area has never thrived like the other side.

Also would a good covering of mulch around the base help with the control of weeds for the next year or would it stop water getting down to the roots?





Any help would be appreciated

PeteFalk78

I'd cut it right down, taking nearly half off them (see pic below - Id take a minimum of this off). It may seem drastic and counterproductive but will promote filling out at bottom next year.
I'd slowly step it up then to desired height. The only question mark would be when to do this, I'm thinking late August-early Sept but not 100% sure.

Regarding mulch, it is actually better for water as it protects the ground from direct sunlight and therefore keeps the soil moist. Personally I've been using grass cuttings (no more than 2 inches deep) as cheap mulch twice a year,giving soil protection and weed control and I've been very very happy with the progression on my beech hedge. I can post a pic of my hedge although it is 5 years old now.



BTW you've done a great job on your lawn....looks fantastic. You may tell us how you have the grass looking so healthy.

thenashlegend

Thank you for that, having read a similar thread in the UK I had seen a similar answer to yours but as you said, it seems a bit counterproductive. I just cant leave it growing another year and end up with a poor hedge yet again.

About the lawn, I mow it at the highest setting on the lawnmower, 7 in my case and remove the clippings. Once every four or five mowings I will mulch the grass back into it. I removed all the moss last year with Sulphate of Iron and a motorised rake but I really think it has only come into its own this year. Around April I spread two buckets of agricultural fertiliser (24 2.5 5 NPK) on it and in May I sprayed all the weeds with Mortox 50 made up in a knapsack sprayer. I'm not sure what rate the fertiliser went on at as I do it all by hand but the lawn would be 35x20 metres give or take. The Mortox spray has wiped out all the daisies, dandelions and thistles, it also turned the grass a little orange for a while but it returned a much better colour within a few weeks.

Hope this helps!

lazybones32

To help the hedge 'fill out' you do need to trim the tops but not to the degree as the other poster mentioned.

Find the terminal shoot - the tallest growing shoot that is directly connected to the main trunk of the tree/hedge - and cut it, in order to promote lateral (side) growth. This will help the hedge fill out.

The furthest back you should cut the hedge is to the height of the concrete post but even this could be more than necessary. Beech is slow and will take a few years to look good but a little bit of formative pruning will not go astray. Cut off 4" or trim the hedge at the height you want to keep it at and it will come..

thenashlegend

thenashlegend wrote: »

About the lawn, I mow it at the highest setting on the lawnmower, 7 in my case and remove the clippings. Once every four or five mowings I will mulch the grass back into it. I removed all the moss last year with Sulphate of Iron and a motorised rake but I really think it has only come into its own this year. Around April I spread two buckets of agricultural fertiliser (24 2.5 5 NPK) on it and in May I sprayed all the weeds with Mortox 50 made up in a knapsack sprayer. I'm not sure what rate the fertiliser went on at as I do it all by hand but the lawn would be 35x20 metres give or take. The Mortox spray has wiped out all the daisies, dandelions and thistles, it also turned the grass a little orange for a while but it returned a much better colour within a few weeks.

Hope this helps!

I'd say you are not diluting the Mortox enough that's why you get yellow grass. 40:1 I go for.

Oldtree

I would agree with lazybones, that would be a bit rough to cut all that off. At this stage it is best left until mid winter. A hedge takes 10 years to make with patience, there is no rushing it. Allow the plants to settle in with a modicum of pruning on an annual basis over the years to build towards the face's of the hedge where you want them to be. don't panic.

thenashlegend

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd say you are not diluting the Mortox enough that's why you get yellow grass. 40:1 I go for.

Quite possible, I do tend to add a bit for good luck! :rolleyes: I kept to the mixing advice fairly closely though, it wasn't like I fired in an extra jug full of Mortox.

Thanks for the advice on the hedge though, decided to get a load of mulch for around the base on Monday, looks far better already, just need to get another trailer to finish the job!

The guy I bought it from reckoned to cut the hedge towards the end of August and take around a foot from the main stem. He also recommended I add in a couple of plants in the winter to thicken it up, where needed.

creedp

Oldtree wrote: »

I would agree with lazybones, that would be a bit rough to cut all that off. At this stage it is best left until mid winter. A hedge takes 10 years to make with patience, there is no rushing it. Allow the plants to settle in with a modicum of pruning on an annual basis over the years to build towards the face's of the hedge where you want them to be. don't panic.

Sorry for digging up an old thread but I iwas wondering if this is a an OK time to prune an oak hedge planted last March. I intended doing it in January (mid-winter) but because of the very cold weather I held off. Planning to do it next weekend if an OK time?

PeteFalk78

Winter is the best time to prune oak. So yeah, the sooner the better.

More info here - http://www.qctree.com/2011/12/05/oak-tree-pruning-when-and-why/