- When is rejuvenation of the hornbeam hedge necessary?
- The best time to rejuvenate the hedge
- This is how the hornbeam hedge is rejuvenated
Older hornbeam hedges tend to develop leaks over time and not produce as many leaves in the lower regions overall. Then at the latest a rejuvenation cut is appropriate. What to consider when rejuvenating the hornbeam hedge.
The best time for rejuvenation is early spring
When is rejuvenation of the hornbeam hedge necessary?
If the hornbeam hedge has become very wide and high, the lower parts only get little light. Even if the hornbeam itself requires little light, the formation of shoots is then no longer so pronounced. As a result, the branches branch less at the bottom and holes appear.
Now at the latest it is time to rejuvenate the hornbeam hedge.
After the rejuvenation, the hornbeam hedge initially looks a bit torn. However, the vacancies close up again quite quickly if you trim the hedge. This encourages them to form new side branches.
The best time to rejuvenate the hedge
Many gardeners do the rejuvenation pruning in the spring before they sprout. Other experts recommend starting a taper in August. The interfaces then do not bleed quite as much and the plant is not weakened as much.
This is how the hornbeam hedge is rejuvenated
- Saw off old branches
- shorten younger shoots
- Cut down sick trees completely
Saw off old branches to 20 centimeters above the ground. This often results in the development of new shoots that grow out of the ground and have to be shortened later.
All younger shoots that do not have any branches are severely cut back. There should still be three eyes on the piece of shoot from which the new shoots will grow.
If a hornbeam tree in the hedge is diseased or has dried up, it is cut directly above the ground. You can only plant a new hornbeam there in autumn if you remove the entire rootstock. This is hardly possible in a hedge. The only thing that helps here is frequent pruning of the remaining hornbeams to stimulate budding.
tips
If you want to remove a hornbeam hedge entirely, simply sawing it off at ground level is not enough. It drives out again from its long roots. To eliminate you have to dig up the whole rootstock.