- Why a taper pruning is necessary
- The right time to rejuvenate the beech hedge
- How to cut back the beech hedge correctly
Beech hedges can stand in the garden for many years. The average age of a beech is 150 years. After a few decades, the beech hedge no longer looks so full and dense. Then it's time to rejuvenate them. This is how the makeover of a beech hedge works.
Rejuvenation pruning should be done in fall or winter
Why a taper pruning is necessary
The longer the beech hedge stands, the more it branches out, not least because it is cut back. Over time, a dense tangle of branches and ramifications develops, preventing the lower regions from getting enough light.
As a result, the beech hedge is bare at the bottom because no new shoots or new leaves are growing there.
The task of the rejuvenation cut is to thin out the dense branch knots so that light and air can reach the lower parts of the hedge again. You can also shorten the hedge at the same time as you rejuvenate it if it has become too high.
The right time to rejuvenate the beech hedge
A radical pruning, which is necessary for rejuvenation, may only be carried out during the period from October to the beginning of March. The best time is just before the new leaves sprout in spring.
From March to June, severe trimming of hedges is not permitted. The reason is birds that like to use beech hedges as breeding grounds.
How to cut back the beech hedge correctly
- Shorten side parts
- Cut back the top
- cut out thick branches
First, shorten the side parts with hedge trimmers (€24.99). Then cut the top to the desired height.
To rejuvenate, then cut the thickest branches directly out of the hedge. In the end, only a few healthy branches should remain. The beech hedge then looks a little "plucked".
You need good tools to rejuvenate a beech hedge because the branches can be very thick and very hard. You don't have to be careful when working. Beech trees tolerate a radical pruning right down to the old wood.
tips
After the makeover, the beech hedge needs some time to recover from the heavy intervention. This can take up to a year. However, since beeches grow very quickly, the hedge is then as good as new.