The native hornbeam inspires as a decorative deciduous tree with natural charm. Its advantages come into their own as a solitary tree and a densely leafed shrub. The cutting tolerance of Carpinus betulus is legendary and succeeds even with the inexperienced hand. A wide range of imaginative design variants makes the hornbeam an important element of garden design when an easy-care and pruning-tolerant ornamental tree is on the wish list. This tutorial is packed with practical instructions for cutting hornbeams as trees, shrubs and hedges.

In summer, hornbeams should only be pruned moderately to protect birds

Table of Contents

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  1. Types of cuts and dates
  2. conservation pruning tree
  3. Rejuvenation pruning tree
  4. Top-up pruning shrub
  5. Thinning out shrub
  6. Form and care cut hedge
  7. Rejuvenation pruning shrub and hedge
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. Hornbeam - tolerant of many types of pruning

    With a hornbeam, an undemanding and forgiving tree finds its way into the garden. The home advantage gives the deciduous a robust hardiness, which does not last in a pronounced cut tolerance results. Hornbeams cooperate in the upbringing to the majestic deciduous tree just as conciliatory as with a cultivation as a decorative one shrub or formal hedge with privacy function. To call all the artistic hornbeam variants by name would go beyond the scope of this tutorial. The following overview presents popular, traditional and trendy types of cuts with tips on the best times to cut:

    type of cultivation cut type goal/occasion best appointment
    tree Shape and maintenance cut Form and maintain crown Late Winter (late November to late February)
    tree taper cut rejuvenate aged crown Winter (November to February)
    Shrub - solitary or small group build-up cut stable and dense bushy growth February
    Shrub - solitary or small group thinning cut Remove deadwood, regulate growth February and late June
    hedge Shape cut and grooming cut opaque growth, neat appearance February and late June
    shrub or hedge taper cut revitalize senile hornbeams Winter (November to February)

    In the expert pruning has the ideal time moved from June to February. With the help of many years of field trials, experts have found that trees and shrubs respond better to pruning in late winter. St. John's Day at the end of June remains the traditional pruning date for light maintenance trimmings on hedges and vigorous shrubs.

    tips

    Today's idiom outrageous originally had a close connection to the rough, gnarled wood of a hornbeam. Over the centuries, the term has undergone a change in meaning. If in modern usage there is talk of an "outrageous mistake", this is used to express that the person concerned has committed a gross misconduct. If you follow the instructions in this tutorial, you will at least be protected from "outrageous editing errors".

    Tree pruning instructions - shape and maintenance cut

    A hornbeam naturally thrives as a medium-sized tree with a cone-shaped, later rounded, wide crown. As a free-growing house tree, the native tree species rounds off the natural garden design magnificently. With special crown shapes and compact growth, successful varieties such as 'Fastigiata' or 'Monumentalis', which are popular in small gardens and front yards, inspire.

    A well-trained hornbeam stays in the first years uncut. Only with advancing age is it advisable to cut back at intervals of 4 to 5 years. Thinning out dead wood and shaping the crown guarantee a well-groomed appearance and gentle growth control. How to properly prune a hornbeam as a free-growing tree:

    • Thin out the crown every 4 to 5 years
    • Cut off a dead branch on Astring
    • Remove steeply growing, weak and inward-pointing shoots
    • Start each cut a few millimeters above an outward-facing bud
    • Cut off stem shoots growing below the crown without damaging the bark
    • Pull out any water shoots or unwanted seedlings that are sprouting from the tree disc

    If there is too long a branch sticking out of the crown, fix the aesthetic problem with a derivative cut. The clever cutting technique prevents pruning from causing unsightly gaps in the crown image. Don't just cut the branch in question just anywhere. Rather, look for a short, outward-pointing side shoot near the intersection. At the Forking of both shoots cut off the section that is too long. From now on, the previously subordinate side shoot takes over the leading position without the pruning affecting the harmonious appearance of the crown.

    A free-growing hornbeam naturally forms a beautiful, rounded crown with a diameter of up to 12 metres. It is thinned out and trimmed every 4 to 5 years. Thin out dead wood and unfavorable branches on Astring. Twigs protruding from the shape indicate a healthy side shoot. Shoots growing below the crown and from the tree disc are removed.

    Rejuvenate old hornbeam - this is how it works

    Uncut, the hornbeam forms an expansive crown with a diameter of 12 meters and beyond. A dense network of old, bare and young, stunted branches makes normal maintenance pruning impossible. Instead of clearing the neglected tree, bring the crown to its logical place with a radical pruning. In order for your hornbeam to earn the name house tree again, breathe new life into it with a rejuvenating pruning. How to cut correctly:

    • The best time is during the leafless period from November to February
    • Start by thinning out all dead wood
    • Select a suitable number of healthy, strong main branches as the new crown
    • Shorten selected leading branches by half by diverting them to a young side shoot
    • Saw off all other, senile main branches on a branch
    • Saw a branch step by step starting at the thickness of an arm

    With a rejuvenating cut, the pronounced cut tolerance of a hornbeam plays into your hands. You can be sure that the tree will also sprout freshly from its old wood. The secret lies hidden in dormant eyes that lie dormant under the bark for many years. The radical pruning acts as a wake-up call, activating dormant buds. Depending on the overall condition of the hornbeam in question, strong growth sets in as an ideal starting point for the new structure of the crown.

    As shown in the image below, the rejuvenation pruning leaves a bare crown of central shoots with selected main branches bearing few, promising side shoots. You can cushion the deforestation by diverting as many old branches as possible to young side branches.

    When pruning a hornbeam crown to rejuvenate, cut back all main branches by half. Use the Astring to remove dead wood and branches in an unfavorable position.

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    Cut a thick branch in stages - a brief explanation of the correct cutting technique

    An old hornbeam sometimes confronts the gardener with a thick, old branch that needs to be removed. Sawing in one go carries the risk that the mighty branch will break off and leave an irreversible wound on the tree. With the right cutting technique, you can expertly prevent the mishap. First saw the branch from the bottom to the middle at a distance of 40 centimeters from the actual cutting point. Then move the saw to the right or left to saw from above until the branch breaks off. Support the stump with one hand while you cut the piece on Astring.

    Build up hornbeam in stages

    With an annual increase of 30 to 35 centimeters, a hornbeam grows far too quickly as a shrub to branch out densely at the same time. The aim is to slow down the growth rate and divert plant energy to lower-level buds. You can do that with one gradual build-up cut. A conical cutting profile with a broad base and narrow crown makes an important contribution to the light penetration deep into the bush, so that photosynthesis can take place there and the leaves sprout. This is how you complete the perfect build-up cut on the hornbeam shrub:

    • Cut back all shoots by a third or half on the day of planting
    • Prune to the desired final height every year in February
    • Cut back strong-growing varieties again at the end of June
    • Cut back last year's growth to a remainder of 5 to 10 centimetres
    • Always cut close to an outward pointing bud
    • Prune the shrub in a pyramidal shape with a slightly wider base and narrowed crown

    The recommended gradual education up to the final height puts the law of growth of peak funding into practice. This law states that the hornbeam, like almost all plants, grows most strongly at the tips of its shoots. Top buds are preferentially supplied with energy in order to grow towards the light as quickly as possible. The further a bud is from the top position, the slower the growth. By continuously removing top buds with a build-up pruning, lower positioned eyes benefit from the increased sap pressure and sprout. It follows that reduced height growth automatically leads to increased sprouting of side branches.

    In addition to the gradual build-up cut, we recommend a Pyramid shape sectional profile for your hornbeam bush. In this way, the sunlight reaches deep into the center of the wood, because the branches do not shade each other. The reward for your care is a dense foliage without bare leaves from the inside out.

    Gradual training with a conical cut profile is rewarded with a wind-stable, bushy, branched hornbeam shrub. Prune last year's growth to 10 centimeters. Blend strong-growing varieties again at the end of June. Continue the build-up cut to the final height.

    Hornbeam shrub - beautiful thanks to thinning out

    Successful hornbeam varieties decorate the garden as a solitary shrub or in a small group. The pyramidal hornbeam 'Fastigiata' inspires with its columnar silhouette and impressively lines driveways and avenues with a height of up to 15 meters. Its little sister, the columnar hornbeam 'Frans Fontaine', grows to a height of 6 to 8 meters and adorns the front garden as a slender beauty of foliage. In single position stays on well mannered Hornbeam nice if you at least have it cut once a year. If necessary, use the scissors again at the end of June to control growth. How to cut correctly:

    • The best time for the central clearing cut is in February
    • Cut out dead, weak and disturbing branches
    • When the final height is reached, cut off last year's growth
    • Important: Pay attention to the pruning on outward-facing buds
    • Maintain tapered cutting profile

    If a hornbeam is thriving in early summer, prune the shrub between the end of June (St. John's Day) and mid-July. Examine the wood in advance nesting birds. If you find anything, shift set the pruning time to August. Prune this year's growth back to an outward-facing leaf or bud.

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    Electric shrub shears leave battered foliage behind

    The hornbeam inspires with its decorative foliage. Its deciduous, ovate to elliptical leaves are eight centimeters long and five centimeters wide. With bright golden yellow autumn colors, the deciduous tree rounds off the garden season magnificently. Mechanically operated shrub shears are out of place to ensure that the decorative foliage survives a cut without injury. Hornbeam leaves can become irretrievably entangled in the knife bars running against each other, are torn and are left with brown leaf edges for the rest of the year. Please always cut a hornbeam as a tree, shrub or hedge with one-handed or two-handed scissors.

    Trim hornbeam hedges twice a year

    A gradual growth cut, as described for the solitary shrub, is also advantageous for a hornbeam hedge. When the final height is reached, the trimming leads to a regular shape and trimming. At least it is cut twice a year, regardless of the life stage of the hedge. This is how an exemplary hedge trimming succeeds:

    • Editing dates: February, June and optionally August
    • Thin out dead wood at the beginning of February
    • Beforehand, stretch out strings as a guideline for a trapezoidal section profile
    • Up to the final height of the hedge: cut back previous growth to 5 or 10 centimetres
    • From final height: completely trim previous growth
    • Optionally in August, cut back all branches protruding from the hedge

    Please inspect the hedge carefully for overwintering or nesting birds before each cut. If you find what you are looking for, the cut will be postponed until later. It is perfectly possible to prune a hornbeam hedge in mid-August, when the breeding season has ended. From the beginning of September, the hedge trimmer should rest so that shoots mature in time before the first frost.

    Trim formal hornbeam hedges into shape in February and again in late June to mid-July. Stretched strings mark the advantageous trapezoidal shape for light-flooded growth.

    tips

    Would you like to deepen your knowledge of pruning a hornbeam as a hedge? Then we recommend our comprehensive tutorial on how to trim the hedge perfectly. Here you can read well-founded instructions on building, caring for and rejuvenating an opaque, shapely hornbeam hedge.

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    Rejuvenate senile hornbeam bushes

    A lack of pruning does not leave hornbeam bushes unaffected. Within a few years, the deciduous trees are transformed into an unsightly and impenetrable undergrowth as a solitaire or hedge. It is now too late for subsequent maintenance pruning and too early for clearing. Revitalize the hornbeam with a rejuvenating pruning and then start the new growth. The risk of a total failure is significantly reduced when you are in two stages Action. How to do it right:

    • The best time for each cutting stage is in winter on a frost-free day
    • First step: Shorten the crown and one side to a quarter of the desired final height and width
    • Second step: Cut back uncut areas
    • Cut back growth on the previous year's rejuvenated shrub or hedge area to 10 centimeters
    • After each pruning, fertilize with compost and horn shavings

    From the third year, rebuild rejuvenated hornbeam shrubs as a specimen or hedge. Go gradually, leaving no more than 10 centimeters in height and width each year. By the end of June, the shoots from the first stage of pruning will sprout so vigorously that you can start pruning on these areas. By mid-July, cut back the new growth to a residue of 5 or 10 centimeters. In early summer, after the second stage of regeneration, the pruning includes all shrub and hedge areas.

    Large, old hornbeam bushes and hedges are gently rejuvenated over a period of two years. In the first year, cut back the crown and one side by three quarters. In the second year, trim the opposite side and the hedge edges. Following on from this, the section care is dedicated to a new structure.

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    Radical pruning takes place in winter so that spring does not fall silent

    Nobody can turn a blind eye to the dramatic population situation of our breeding birds. One of the many reasons for the unabated decline is uncontrolled pruning in the middle of the breeding season. The Federal Nature Conservation Act puts a stop to this. Between March 1st and September 30th are pruning measures on trees and shrubs prohibited. Pruning, sticking and other radical cuts are permitted from October 1st to February 28th provided there are no wild animals in the woods. Slight care cuts may be made during the summer closed season as long as there are no bird nests in the wood and the cut is limited to this year's growth.

    frequently asked Questions

    Is the hornbeam poisonous?

    No, there are no toxic substances in a hornbeam. There are no toxins in the leaves, shoots and roots, nor in the flowers, seeds and fruits. The popular hedge plant also poses no danger to animals.The hornbeam is an excellent choice for enclosing plots of land, gardens, paddocks and pastures.

    Can I train a young hornbeam to a standard myself? If yes, how does it work?

    You can easily raise a young plant to a standard. Choose the strongest shoot and place a support stake next to it. Connect the shoot and support with soft hose ties that do not cut into the young bark. Cut off all vertical competing shoots at ground level. Side shoots along the future trunk are also removed. Lead the central shoot up on its support to a height of 2.20 to 2.50 meters. Now shorten the tip, whereupon the branching to the crown begins. The hornbeam forms a beautiful crown from the extension of the trunk and 4 to 6 evenly arranged main branches. Please cut off branches that are sprouting below the crown.

    Is the columnar hornbeam suitable for keeping in a large bucket?

    Keeping a hornbeam in a bucket is not a problem if an optimal supply of water and nutrients is guaranteed during the summer months. During the cold season, be careful not to let the soil dry out. Furthermore, there is only limited frost tolerance in the pot. It is imperative that you wrap the tub in foil, fleece or a potato sack and push a block of wood under the floor.

    For my garden I am planning a narrow, about 50 centimeters wide hedge made of pyramidal hornbeams. Is the 'Fastigiata' variety suitable for this? How many plants are needed for 1 meter?

    The excellent pruning tolerance of hornbeams allows them to be cultivated as narrow hedges. If you cut regularly, you can shorten pyramidal hornbeams to a width of 30 to 50 centimeters. For this purpose, trim the hedge two to three times a year, in February, at the end of June and, if necessary, one last time in August. When planting hedges, we recommend 3 plants per meter.

    Nurseries offer the hornbeam as an evergreen shrub or tree. Does this mean that the plant keeps the foliage over the winter?

    Local site conditions have a significant impact on how long a hornbeam bears its leaves. In wind-protected locations, the foliage usually falls from the middle of late December. The omens for a long-lasting foliage are good if mild weather with sufficient moisture dominates in autumn. In dry autumn weather, we recommend continuing to water regularly and plentifully so that the foliage is not shed as a result of drought stress.

    My freshly planted hornbeam hedge should be 2 meters high. Currently at the beginning of July, the bushes are 1 to 1.50 meters high with quite thin tips. Can I cut the hedge back to 80 centimeters or do I have to wait until the hedge has reached its final height before cutting back?

    The earlier the pruning of a hornbeam hedge begins, the denser the bushes will branch out. We recommend a timely pruning to promote branching in the lower hedge area. July is a good time to prune, as long as you don't prune in extreme heat and direct sunlight.

    The 3 most common cutting mistakes

    If the hornbeam becomes a nuisance with its bare, misshapen silhouette, the gardener has made a pruning mistake. So that you can enjoy a well-groomed appearance of trees, shrubs and hedges for a long time, the following table draws your attention to the three most common mistakes in pruning and provides helpful tips for prevention:

    cutting error damage picture prevention
    never cleared premature aging, impenetrable undergrowth regularly cut out dead wood
    put on the stick in one go total failure rejuvenate in two or three stages
    cut with electric scissors battered foliage, brown leaf edges Cut hornbeam manually

    tips

    Hornbeams enter into a symbiotic community with mycorrhizal fungi, which is beneficial for both sides. As a result, bare-root young plants hardly grow in the first few years because the symbiosis first establishes itself underground. It is advisable to purchase a large hornbeam as a tree or shrub with the root ball in a container.

Category:

Trees