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Getting a new yew hedge to 'Bush out'
robharvey1fIvx-nSN
Posts: 3
in Plants
Good morning all, hope everyone is keeping very well.
I have a question which I've found a hundred different answers to, but nothing that specifically answers my specific question. I'm hoping some kind soul here could point me in the right direction.
When we bought our house it had a very large Leylandii hedge, but because the house had been rented, it hadn't been looked after. We tried in vain for years to get it back looking reasonable, but three years ago admitted defeat, ripped it out and replaced with a new yew hedge. Replacement bushes were around 150-175cm at planting.
Fast forward three years and the hedge has established well and is just starting on individual plants to get to target height plus six or so inches. I have been lightly clipping the sides of the hedge so that we are starting to establish "the wall", but there are still obvious gaps between the plants along tge line of the hedge.
I am very aware that if you trim the lead growing shoots, then the rate of growth markedly slows, but what I don't know is whether that means I have to let the tops get taller and taller to get the gap between plants closed up, or whether "sideways growth " will continue at the same rate once the tops are cut.
My question therefore is really " will cutting the tops back now encourage lower fown lateral bushing to close the gaps, or will it only slow the overall growth rate?"
Any advice hugely appreciated
Many thanks
I have a question which I've found a hundred different answers to, but nothing that specifically answers my specific question. I'm hoping some kind soul here could point me in the right direction.
When we bought our house it had a very large Leylandii hedge, but because the house had been rented, it hadn't been looked after. We tried in vain for years to get it back looking reasonable, but three years ago admitted defeat, ripped it out and replaced with a new yew hedge. Replacement bushes were around 150-175cm at planting.
Fast forward three years and the hedge has established well and is just starting on individual plants to get to target height plus six or so inches. I have been lightly clipping the sides of the hedge so that we are starting to establish "the wall", but there are still obvious gaps between the plants along tge line of the hedge.
I am very aware that if you trim the lead growing shoots, then the rate of growth markedly slows, but what I don't know is whether that means I have to let the tops get taller and taller to get the gap between plants closed up, or whether "sideways growth " will continue at the same rate once the tops are cut.
My question therefore is really " will cutting the tops back now encourage lower fown lateral bushing to close the gaps, or will it only slow the overall growth rate?"
Any advice hugely appreciated
Many thanks
0
Posts
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/maintain-the-garden/how-to-trim-a-young-yew-hedge/
You should prune the top of the plants, by taking several inches off the main leader shoot. If there is more than one top shoot, then you can trim them all, to create a flat surface. If you do this just as the plant is coming into growth in Spring, this will encourage it to put on growth at the sides. You should do this for every trim that you do this year. You may need to do 2-3 trims, depending on what weather you get.
Personally, I would say don't trim the sides for now, even though you want a flat wall to the hedge. This is because trimming the sides will encourage the plants to put on top growth, which you want to limit for now. It will mean your hedge is a bit messy for now, but you will end up closing the gaps more quickly, and once that's done, then you can focus on creating a wall effect, so to speak. Hope that makes sense.
Time to break out the old hedge trimmer then and make its ready for a spring haircut!
My gut feel is just that the shrub naturally wants to grow in a conical general pattern and so just needs time to flesh out, rather than having actual bare spots - but its definitely worth a try to see if we can encourage that growth!
I have also found advice about cutting yew to be both conflicting and confusing. However, several of the 'good' hedging specialists say that cutting the leader will slow down growth, so I think that is likely to be sound information.
I found the Monty video (link above) really quite useful and I would suggest in your situation not cutting the leader until it has achieved 6 - 12 inches above the height you're after but, meanwhile, continue to lightly cut some of the side shoots to encourage more growth in those areas.
Not cutting the leader is, of course, contrary to the advice given for most other shrubs and plants where you reduce the leader(s) to encourage bushier growth.
I'm just hoping my own understanding is correct🙃
Been doing lots of reading recently because I have just (ie this morning) collected yew plants to replace the topiary box pyramids which were well and truly munched by the box caterpillars last year. Couldn't afford to buy 5 fairly tall, ready-made pyramids so I've got to grow-on and shape my own.
Fingers crossed I don't muck it up!