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Young beech hedge -Help!!

felicialarssonfelicialarsson Posts: 6
in Problem solving
We planted a beech hedge about 3 years ago - the branches at the bottom were getting very sparse so had the idea to cut the tips so bottoms would fill out. We cut about a foot off the top. Unfortunately I have now been told this was big mistake as now the hedge not be able to grow taller but by cutting the tips of we will further discourage lower branches growing out - is there anything we can do to salvage the situation 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Posts

  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    Hmm, it sounds like you've been given some inaccurate advice there.

    What you can do is sit back and wait for your hedge to fill out, and grow taller - both of which I think it will do.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The hedge will be fine @felicialarsson . It will grow as high as you want it, assuming it has suitable growing conditions.
    Do you have a photo of it just now?

    Ideally, you'd have nipped the tops out when it was planted, but don't worry, it won't matter. If it's a bit sparse at the bottom, it will fill out over time. The only thing that might prevent that is if you have the top wider than the bottom, which causes a bit of shade, but that's easily sorted with correct trimming  :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    We have an old beech hedge which had been neglected for many years when we arrived. By reducing it gradually, over several years, we were able to encourage it to thicken up at the base. There is no problem with height, turn your back for five minutes and they go for the skies. I believe that your young hedge will be fine, a bit of trimming should not cause permanent harm.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They'll take any amount of abuse @Posy ;)
    There's a very fine, big one near me which had an extremely severe haircut [ especially at the sides ] earlier in the year. Looks grand now.  :)
    I used to do my Dad's hedge, which he planted when I was a baby. It was a fair old size too. They just thicken up by themselves over time. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • felicialarssonfelicialarsson Posts: 6

  • felicialarssonfelicialarsson Posts: 6
    Thank u so much for your advise-I am a total novice gardener who has inherited a big overgrown garden so slightly overwhelmed. We planted the hedge as a partition between us and our neighbors to offer som privacy on summer when we are outside 
  • felicialarssonfelicialarsson Posts: 6
    Hoped that the leaves would stay on on the winter. The hedges does not have a huge amount of light in parts 
  • felicialarssonfelicialarsson Posts: 6
    I feel like I didn’t just do a ‘bit’ of trimming but was quite drastic. We had a bunch of old leggy rhododendrons and gave them severe pruning sand they are all coming back bushy. I think I got over enthusiastic with the baby hedge 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You need to remove all the ivy - it's just competition for water and nutrients for the hedge. Then beef up the soil with a layer of good compost after watering thoroughly. In spring, sprinkle some Blood Fish and Bone around the hedge base and add more compost. That will help it along a bit. 

    That ivy is preventing it growing as well as it should. If it's been there three years, it should be far better than that. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • felicialarssonfelicialarsson Posts: 6
    👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🙏🏼 I love this website! Gardening is a totally new world for me. ❤️
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