Hornbeam Help

NewnorthernIrishgardener · July 2023

Hi Folks

Can i check is anyone having issues around their hornbeam or is there a reason that my newly planted hedge (Feb 2023) has got brown ends?, i know there was a few weeks which were boiling hot but i did water regularly possibly not enough?

AnniD · July 2023

Bumping up

Ceres · July 2023

I should be very interested if someone can come up with an answer to this one because my hornbeam hedge plants have been suffering from this for years.

bertrand-mabel · July 2023

Our hornbeam is some years old and we have had no problems. It is kept to a small height and cut back when needed. We have had no signs of it suffering but then as I said it is many years old.

Fairygirl · July 2023

If it's been recently planted, how was the ground prepped and what care has it had?
February would normally be fine for planting hornbeam, but as it's a hedging plant which loves water, it could have struggled if you're in a drier area, and the ground is lighter and freer draining. It copes very well with wetter conditions, which is why it's a much better alternative than beech in wetter sites. My favourite hedge.
Some areas have very little rain even at that time of year, although I wouldn't have thought that would be a problem where you are @NewnorthernIrishgardener

It could also be wind/sun damage, so a photo would help so that we can see exactly what the browning is.

nick615 · July 2023

As I'm at the other end of Ireland (Cork), I'll offer you an experiment. Species like your Hornbeam and its relative, Beech, are seldom seen here, and the ground is highly acid in a lot of areas - perhaps the two don't go well together? Select one of your problem plants and sprinkle a liberal supply of granular lime around its base to see if it requires a more alkaline environment. Worth a try?

NewnorthernIrishgardener · July 2023

NewnorthernIrishgardener · July 2023

Picture above it does seem to be slightly worse on the side with less/no mulch

That said the side with mulch is far from clear

plant pauper · July 2023

If I kept beech seedlings in a pot for too long and if they looked like that I'd know I'd forgotten to water them...again. I would never do that of course but if I did, they would. I know we've had no shortage of rain this year but that wee month long dry spell might have been enough to set them back since they are still newish.

You and @Fairygirl have set me off looking at hornbeam hedging since it deals better with wet than beech.

@nick615 I'm on pure peat and there are loads of beech, both trees and hedging, here.

NewnorthernIrishgardener · July 2023

We went with hornbeam as the winter is very waterlogged with us also very exposed and hornbeam can handle the wind well apparently 🤞

Fairygirl · July 2023

Hornbeam is very easy here where I am - no shortage of wind and rain.
Your climate and conditions will be quite similar to us here in the west of Scotland @NewnorthernIrishgardener. If you have heavy clay though, it pays to add loads of organic matter for a while before planting, to improve drainage. No plant will be happy planted directly into boggy, waterlogged soil - even a bog plant

I can't see too much wrong with those, but can we see the base and how they've been planted? It looks very congested there....

I comes down to drainage @plant pauper. Plenty of beech round here too - both colours, and they always look good and grow to huge proportions, and plenty of trees as well as hedging. I believe hornbeam isn't so suited to very acidic soil, but it's brilliant here - we have neutral to slightly acidic.

Hornbeam Help

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