- Cut care up to the old age of the hedge - types of cut at a glance
- Plant pruning instructions
- Training cut for a dense hedge pattern
- Magnificent hornbeam hedge thanks to topiary - this is how it works
- Flawlessly beautiful hedge thanks to a summer care cut - this is how it works
- And goodbye aging! - Instructions for the taper cut
- Manual or electric? - Tips for the perfect hedge trimmer
- frequently asked Questions
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The native hornbeam was voted tree of the year thanks to its robust winter hardiness, undemanding care and good-natured pruning tolerance. The shrubs are of inestimable value for people and nature as topiary plants when they gather to form a windproof and opaque hedge. The strong growth of the birch family requires the use of hedge trimmers several times a year. This tutorial guides you step by step through the professional pruning of a hornbeam hedge.
Hedges may only be cut back slightly during the breeding season
Table of Contents
Show all- Types of cuts with a schedule
- plant cutting
- education cut
- topiary
- care cut
- taper cut
- Hedge trimmer tips
- frequently asked Questions
- The best tool is clean, sharp pruning shears for a controlled cut
- For better orientation, tighten the cords for a straight cut
- Cut back the hornbeam hedge by at least half at the top and on all sides
- side shoots in trapezoidal shape crop with a broad base and narrower tip
- The ideal cutting point is 3-5 millimeters above an opposite pair of leaves or buds
- Don't leave a long stub and don't cut into the buds
- To begin, stretch cords between wooden pegs for an accurate trapezoidal cut
- Leave between 5 and 10 centimeters of new growth with each pruning
- Include hedge surface and all sidewalls in the cut
- Continue gradually building up to the desired hedge height
- First cut out all dead wood from the hedge
- Then mark the conical cutting profile with cords or wooden slats
- The ideal cut on the hedge sides is from bottom to top
- The best appointment is on St. John's Day, or 2 weeks before or after
- Carefully open the hedge in advance inhabited bird nests investigate in order to reschedule the appointment if necessary
- Cut off all shoots protruding from the mold with hand or electric scissors
- The extent of the cut is limited to this year's growth
- The best time is a frost-free day between the end of January and the end of February
- First stage: Cut back the top and one side of the hedge to a quarter of the desired height and width
- Second stage: shorten the opposite side of the hedge and flanks
- After each stage, fertilize with 3 liters of compost and 100 grams of horn shavings per square meter
Cut care up to the old age of the hedge - types of cut at a glance
A hornbeam hedge can become very old. So that the green bulwark wears a dense dress of leaves until the hedge is old, trimming takes a key position in the care program. The starting shot is fired at planting. The following table lists all types of cuts with dates that are important in the long life of a hornbeam hedge.
| cut type | goal/occasion | Appointment Option I | Appointment option II |
|---|---|---|---|
| plant cutting | Promotion of the vigor of the lower shoots | as part of the autumn planting | in February after planting |
| education cut | Gradual hedge construction up to the desired final size | January/February before budding | late June to late July |
| Shape cut/main cut | dense growth from base to tip | January/February before budding | none |
| care cut | neat appearance | around St. John's Day (June 24) | mid to late August |
| taper cut | Revitalize aged hedge | late January to late February | none |
It is important to note the current weather conditions when choosing a date. Ideally, cut your hornbeam hedge in one overcast, frost-free day. Temperatures below - 5 degrees Celsius are just as harmful for further growth as direct sunlight on the freshly cut wounds on shoots and leaves.
Plant pruning instructions
The best time to plant a hornbeam hedge is autumn, when tree nurseries offer the young trees as inexpensive root stock. A hornbeam with a strong central shoot and a growth height of 60 to 100 centimeters can then already be obtained for 1 euro, which significantly reduces the acquisition costs compared to hedge plants in containers. Immediately after planting or in the following spring, the hedge is trimmed, as illustrated in the figure below. Here’s how to do it professionally:
Have you decided to plant a hedge with container plants? Then we would like to recommend a pruning for hornbeams. Subject the young bushes to a close examination. If they thrive with a strong central shoot and weak side branches, please make sure to cut the plants later, even with larger specimens.
Cut back young hornbeams by half after planting. This creates an advantageous accumulation of juice, which promotes the growth of the side shoots. Pay attention to a conical arrangement of the side branches when pruning the plant.
Why is pruning so important?
For young plants in the container it is usually superfluous. For bare-root young trees, the type of cut is also not necessarily part of the program. Why shouldn't the pruning of a hornbeam hedge be missing? The explanation can be found in the Laws of Growth, specifically the Law of Top Production. The following short excursion into the theoretical basics sheds light on the darkness:
In the hornbeam shrub, the top buds are supplied with plant juices more intensively than the lower-lying buds. The law applies equally to the individual branch and the entire shrub. The aim of the strategy is rapid growth towards the light. At this point, the goals of the plant and gardener diverge, because the growth process takes place at the expense of the lower shoots, which are left behind in terms of nutrient supply. Without pruning, all efforts to create a dense privacy hedge will be in vain.
By following the planting young hornbeams cut back vigorously, the juice pressure is distributed more evenly. This means that the growth potential of the shoots below the interface is permanently strengthened. The result is dense branching of deciduous shrubs from the start. The trapezoidal shape of your hedge is important for light-flooded growth, so that even the lowest branches have access to sunlight and can happily carry out photosynthesis.
Pruning technique on buds optimizes plant pruning
For trimming a hornbeam hedge, manual and motorized hedge trimmers (77.00€) are oversized. On the contrary, using one-hand pruners has the convincing advantage of a controlled cutting technique. Since the plant pruning concentrates on young shoots that are easy to see, we recommend targeted pruning on buds. How to do it right:
To measure the correct cutting point, place your free hand directly against the buds at a right angle and place the scissor blades directly over them. As the cut progresses, you will get a good sense of proportion for the perfect starting point. The reward for the effort is vital budding with a simultaneous reduction in the number of sources of infection caused by dried-back branch stumps.
Training cut for a dense hedge pattern
An annual educational cut directs the hornbeam hedge gradually up to the desired height. For this reason, the term build-up pruning is also common among gardeners. The linchpin is a throttled height growth for the optimal Distribution of juice pressure on all shoots and buds.
This tutorial would like to save you from the most common beginner's mistake: inexperienced hobby gardeners do not cut the new deciduous hedge at all for the first few years so that it quickly grows. The devastating result is a bare, unsightly hedge. With a little patience and this educational pruning, you can build a perfect hornbeam hedge:
The figure below demonstrates the gradual construction of a hornbeam hedge. If the upbringing extends over several years, the deciduous shrubs also invest their vigor in the lower hedge regions. You can easily bridge the waiting time until the opaque green wall with a temporary fence or set up reed mats.
Gradually raise a hornbeam hedge in a trapezoidal shape. With each cut, a few centimeters of shoot length are added until the desired final height is reached. Cutting twice a year allows the deciduous hedge to branch better.
Magnificent hornbeam hedge thanks to topiary - this is how it works
When the targeted final height is reached, the pruning leads to the central topiary of a hornbeam hedge. Newcomers appreciate that beginner's mistakes grow out quickly, because the hornbeam reliably sprout again even from old wood. Ideally, connect the topiary with a thinning cut, so that no dead shoots affect the fresh shoots. How to proceed professionally:
When cutting, please keep your eyes on the uncut foliage and the marking. If you are working with an electric hedge trimmer, hold the device parallel to the surface with your arms stretched out. On the sides, the movement comes from the shoulders. On the other hand, swing the cutter bar back and forth on the hedge crown. The less you bend your arms, the smoother the cut will be.
Flawlessly beautiful hedge thanks to a summer care cut - this is how it works
The strong growth of hornbeams requires at least twice a year the use of hedge trimmers. The main cut in early spring is followed by the summer cut care cut. Green perfectionists even let the scissors circle three times a season for a flawless appearance at any time of the year. With this cut you do it right:
Schedule another grooming cut for mid-August. In the period that follows, hornbeams sprout again only weakly. As a result, the hedge looks immaculately cared for throughout the winter and wears the dried foliage up until the main cut in spring. From the second half of August should no cutting measures take place more, since the branches that then sprout do not mature until winter and suffer frost damage.
tips
Summer pruning on hornbeam hedges can be a dusty affair. Pre-spray the bushes with water. The moisture reduces the development of dust, prevents annoying coughing and keeps scissor blades or cutter bars sharp for longer.
And goodbye aging! - Instructions for the taper cut
Without a regular topiary, the hornbeam hedge turns into a bare, over-aged undergrowth. Anyone who is already thinking of clearing has underestimated the pruning tolerance of the native deciduous trees. Get growth going again with a radical makeover cut. Similar to the planting and training phase, the revitalization takes place in several stages, as illustrated in the figure below.
The branches of the first stage of pruning are already vigorously growing again by summer and - as with the well-known training pruning - are pruned back in June/July to a growth of 5 to 10 centimetres. From the summer after the second stage of regeneration, pruning the entire hornbeam hedge leads to a perennial pruning, as explained in this tutorial.
A bare hornbeam hedge is being revitalized in stages. For rejuvenation, cut back the shrubs by three-quarters from the top and on one side. In the second year, cut back the other side as well as the flanks. The deciduous hedge is then gradually rebuilt.
Manual or electric? - Tips for the perfect hedge trimmer
Hornbeams are among the large-leaved deciduous trees that ideally benefit from being cut with manual hedge trimmers. An advantage is that the leaves are cut off cleanly. In contrast, leaves and shoots are literally shredded by the counter-rotating knife bars of a motor-driven hedge trimmer. The frayed cuts dry up, turn brown and spoil the appearance of your hornbeam hedge for a long time.
The decision between manual and motorized hedge trimmers is not least a question of physical condition. Cutting a hornbeam hedge up to a length of ten meters is still a pleasure. Hedges that are longer than this make the use of motorized shears sensible, despite all the aesthetic concerns.
frequently asked Questions
Which hornbeam species is best for hedge planting?
The ultimate for the hornbeam hedge is the botanical name Carpinus betulus. The native wild wood is hardy, tolerates pruning and grows vigorously. An annual growth of up to 40 centimeters ensures that the hedge quickly achieves a privacy screen height. In spring, woolly catkins dangle above the dense foliage. In autumn, the hornbeam species scores with yellow leaves that gradually turn brown and remain hanging well into winter. In addition to the optical advantages, there is also a compatibility with the cut, which also poses no problems for newcomers.
Can I plant a hornbeam hedge in summer?
The Federal Nature Conservation Act has some objections to radical pruning measures on shrubs and hedges. Paragraph 39 (BNatSchG) states that trees and shrubs may not be planted between March 1st and October 1st. The reason for the legal regulation is the protection of nesting birds and other wild animals. Within this grace period, only light maintenance cuts are permitted, provided you have previously ensured that your hedge is not used as a nesting site.
Is the hornbeam also suitable as a solitary house tree?
Hornbeams are not limited to hedge planting. Their decorative attributes and undemanding care qualify the native deciduous tree as a representative house tree. The strong-growing wild species Carpinus betulus is less suitable for the purpose. Reach for refined varieties, such as a slender columnar hornbeam 'Fastigiata' or 'Frans Fontaine', which retains its pyramidal crown shape even in old age.
My hornbeam hedge is partly in the shade and has holes there. What can I do?
As a first step, you should cut back any neighboring plants that are dwarfing your hornbeam hedge. If the hedge otherwise grows nice and dense, individual gaps do not require a radical rejuvenation cut. With a simple auxiliary construction made of thin bamboo sticks and hose ties, you can even close larger holes. To do this, connect the adjacent branches with the sticks. Cut back surrounding shoot tips by a third. Since hornbeams also sprout vitally from old wood, the gaps close quickly. The next time you take care of the cut, you can remove the temporary bridge.
The 3 most common cutting mistakes
The most common mistake in pattern maintenance has already been mentioned in this tutorial. In addition, home gardeners often make two other mishaps that can hamper the growth of a hornbeam hedge. The following table draws attention to the 3 most common cutting errors and gives tips for problem solving or prevention:
| cutting error | damage picture | Correction/Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| no planting and training pruning | uneven growth, bare shoots in the lower part of the hedge | Rejuvenation cut and reconstruction with training cut |
| Hedge trimmed in a rectangular or square shape | premature balding from the inside out | cut in trapezoidal shape (broad base, narrow crown) |
| Trimming with electric hedge trimmers | tattered leaves with brown edges | cut with manual scissors |
tips
Do you flirt with a varied hedge made of similarly pruned deciduous trees? Then alternately plant hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), field maple (Acer campestre) and beech (Fagus sylvatica). The copper beech 'Purpurea' with dark red leaves brings color into play.