Content
- Rejuvenate old beech hedges - tips for pruning
- Why a rejuvenation cut is necessary
- The right time to rejuvenate the beech hedge
- How to cut back the beech hedge properly
- Tips
The rejuvenation cut should be done in autumn or in winter
Rejuvenate old beech hedges - tips for pruning
Beech hedges can be in the garden for many years. The average age of a beech is 150 years. After a few decades the beech hedge does not look so full and dense anymore. Then it's time to rejuvenate her. This is how the rejuvenation cure of a beech hedge works.
Why a rejuvenation cut is necessary
The longer the beech hedge stands, the more it branches out, not least because of the pruning. Over time, a dense tangle of branches and branches will emerge, preventing the lower regions from getting enough light.
As a result, the beech hedge beveled below, because no new shoots and no new leaves grow there.
The rejuvenation cut has the task to correct the dense branch knots, so that light and air come back to the lower rear parts. You can cut the hedge when you rejuvenate if it's too high.
The right time to rejuvenate the beech hedge
Radical pruning necessary for rejuvenation is only allowed during the period from October to early March. The best time is right before the new leaves emerge in the spring.
From March to June, the strong curtailment of hedges is not allowed. The reason is birds that like to use beech hedges as breeding grounds.
How to cut back the beech hedge properly
First cut the sides with a hedge trimmer. Then cut the top to the desired height.
To rejuvenate, cut out the thickest ramifications directly from the hedge. Finally, only a few, healthy branches remain. The beech hedge looks a bit "plucked".
To rejuvenate a beech hedge you need good tools, because the branches can be very thick and very hard. Carefully, you do not have to go to work. Beech trees tolerate a radical pruning well into old wood.
Tips
After the makeover, the beech hedge needs some time to recover from the heavy impact. This can take up to a year. But as beech trees grow very fast, the hedge is as good as new after that.