How hard can I cut back a Beech Hedge ?

[kingsley07]

I need to cut back an established Green Beech hedge to 900mm to comply
with some Planning Regulations, but am worried that this may be too
severe, and the Hedge may not grow back.

The current hedge is around 2.5m high and 1.5m wide, and has been
established for many years. My alternative would be to completely
remove the existing hedge and re-plant with fresh Bare-rooted stock.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Martin Brown]

Post by kingsley07
I need to cut back an established Green Beech hedge to 900mm to comply
with some Planning Regulations, but am worried that this may be too
severe, and the Hedge may not grow back.

I expect it will regenerate. Mine did from a similarly badly unpruned
state. But it will look a mess all winter if you prune it hard now to
old bare wood and without the leaves frost damage may occur.

Are you cutting it back to 900mm height and width or just width?

Post by kingsley07
The current hedge is around 2.5m high and 1.5m wide, and has been
established for many years. My alternative would be to completely
remove the existing hedge and re-plant with fresh Bare-rooted stock.

I'd be inclined to prune it hard in the early spring just before it
breaks dormancy. That way you have a nice golden brown hedge to look
at through the winter and with any luck it will quickly green up in the
spring. I find it amazing that your local planning regulations are so
sensitive to hedges being 600mm too wide. If that is symmetrical that
is 12" extra overhang.

Post by kingsley07
Any advice would be appreciated.

You could perhaps take a bit off now to show willing but leave enough
foliage that the core of the hedge remains protected.

Regards,
Martin Brown

[kingsley07]

Post by Martin Brown

Post by kingsley07
I need to cut back an established Green Beech hedge to 900mm to comply
with some Planning Regulations, but am worried that this may be too
severe, and the Hedge may not grow back.

I expect it will regenerate. Mine did from a similarly badly unpruned
state. But it will look a mess all winter if you prune it hard now to
old bare wood and without the leaves frost damage may occur.
Are you cutting it back to 900mm height and width or just width?

Post by kingsley07
The current hedge is around 2.5m high and 1.5m wide, and has been
established for many years. My alternative would be to completely
remove the existing hedge and re-plant with fresh Bare-rooted stock.

I'd be inclined to prune it hard in the early spring just before it
breaks dormancy. That way you have a nice golden brown hedge to look
at through the winter and with any luck it will quickly green up in the
spring. I find it amazing that your local planning regulations are so
sensitive to hedges being 600mm too wide. If that is symmetrical that
is 12" extra overhang.

Post by kingsley07
Any advice would be appreciated.

You could perhaps take a bit off now to show willing but leave enough
foliage that the core of the hedge remains protected.
Regards,
Martin Brown

Martin,

thanks for the advice. The hedge has to be a maximum of 900mm high
because it adjoins a highway, and we need to establish access onto the
land behind the hedge, hence the height restriction.

[Janet Baraclough]

Post by kingsley07
I need to cut back an established Green Beech hedge to 900mm to comply
with some Planning Regulations, but am worried that this may be too
severe, and the Hedge may not grow back.
The current hedge is around 2.5m high and 1.5m wide, and has been
established for many years. My alternative would be to completely
remove the existing hedge and re-plant with fresh Bare-rooted stock.
Any advice would be appreciated.

You can prune beech down to a few inches from the ground and it will
still sprout up again into a dense hedge. (A neighbour of mine did this
with a beech hedge that used to be 15 ft high; using a chainsaw)
Obviously you won't need to go that low, but I recommend you prune it
shorter and narrower than you want it to end up; than you'll get a nice
dense leaf coverage on all sides at the size you want.

Because an older hedge already has a fully established strong root
system, you'll get a good new hedge much faster that way than if you
grub it out and start again with new stock.

Janet.

[Walt]

Janet,

are you <"David in Normandy" <David-in-***@nowhere.none>>??