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Mature hornbeam hedge with big gaps

alison1cooperalison1cooper Posts: 6
in Problem solving
Hi, I wonder if anyone can advise please. We inherited a big mature hornbeam hedge separating our front and back garden when we moved in 8 years ago. We’ve kept it clipped every year, it was pretty wide when we moved in but I think it gets a bit wider each year but is thin in the middle so this year i decided I should do some renovation pruning as it’s encroaching further and further into the garden. My plan was to hard prune on the inside this year and the outside next year. The problem I’ve found as I have started cutting it back even a bit, is that it’s very sparse inside. Several of the original plants must have died, I have removed one dead stump and there are some big gaps of between 1.3 and 2 metres between the existing plants. The hedge itself is about 2.8m from front to back. I have trimmed back to open up the gaps with the plan of putting some new plants in the gap. But now I’m worried that the new plants might not do well and maybe I’m going to have to remove the whole hedge and start again ☹️. I wasn’t planning on it being such a big job! And now its getting to the end of hedge planting season so we if I take it out we will be very overlooked all summer.

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    I certainly wouldn't start again, you could cut them  back to leave space between for the new plants. I wouldn't try and insert anything too large, a smaller specimen will do better


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • alison1cooperalison1cooper Posts: 6
    Thank you! I have ordered some bare root hornbeam hedging plants so hopefully they’ll fill in the gaps ok. Fingers crossed!
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    When you prune, I think I'd take the opportunity to take as many cuttings as you can to create a reserve supply in pots?  The renovation won't be instant, I fear.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited February 2023
    I had a similar problem with a beech hedge.  The infill is growing very slowly, but at least is grwoing and filling in the gaps at the bottom.

    Does hornbeam grow easily from cuttings?  It certainly grows well from seed.  I have grown a bonzai hornbeam from self-collected seed.  I germinated dozens.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    bédé  I don't know about cuttings, but thought it would be worth a try.  Take prunings and pull off minor side shoots by holding the main stem and pulling the side shoots downwards so that they come away with what I'd call a 'heel'.  Dip in rooting powder and plant.
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