If it is a beech...could be hornbean...we have both. They are both cut back to restrict growth and kept at a low hedge. When? Actually that happens when we think the hedges are getting "ahead" and so cut them back. They are good robust hedges and been around for many decades now.
For us no. When they are showing so much growth that is over what we want then they are cut back. They are kept to a "hedge" size rather than being tall trees. no we don't wait until winter. Hope that helps.
I think that's a hornbeam. Agree with @bertrand-mabel's advice to prune any time you think of it - provided it's not in bird nesting season, of course. And if you're doing serious pruning (the sort which needs a saw), then yes, it's better to do that while it's dormant.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
I did mine [hornbeam - which is what that is] when it was needed, depending on the amount of growth. They're very tolerant. If you do it now, it'll keep a good shape over winter. Then it's just a case of trimming when necessary, avoiding the nesting season, as already said. They're lovely hedging plants, and great because they can be kept neat and narrow, where others are more difficult. My favourite, and more tolerant of wet conditions than beech, so much better here where I am, although beech grows well too, and both have the same features in terms of habit etc. I used to cut my Dad's hedges [beech] when it got too much for him. They were the same age as I was, as they were planted when we moved into the house when I was a small baby. They had got rather large fifty odd year later....
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
This is such a great help Thankyou everyone 😁 I hadn’t thought to treat it like a hedge. We’ve not long cut our bay holly and prunus which we do each autumn…..for sone reason I was thinking of this in terms of a tree rather than a hedge. Is it also a case of the more you trim the more it thickens up? Thankyou again 👍🏻
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If you do it now, it'll keep a good shape over winter. Then it's just a case of trimming when necessary, avoiding the nesting season, as already said. They're lovely hedging plants, and great because they can be kept neat and narrow, where others are more difficult. My favourite, and more tolerant of wet conditions than beech, so much better here where I am, although beech grows well too, and both have the same features in terms of habit etc.
I used to cut my Dad's hedges [beech] when it got too much for him. They were the same age as I was, as they were planted when we moved into the house when I was a small baby. They had got rather large fifty odd year later....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It'll certainly become nice and dense with regular trimming.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...