How tall and how wide do you want your hedge to be eventually? Some hedges are of most value to wildlife when they’re allowed to produce flowers and fruit, but many need to be quite large before they do that, and if they flower on growth produced then previous year then regular trimming will result in considerably fewer flowers and fruit.
Very good point about when they flower thanks for bringing it up.
The hedge would ideally be 2/ 2.5m high with a 12m width. Behind the hedge there is an expanse of overgrowth and brambles so this side wouldn't be cut.
One of the reasons I like pyracantha is it can be cut to a framework where you won't stop flower and berry production, so can create a nice neat fruiting hedge.
One of the reasons I like pyracantha is it can be cut to a framework where you won't stop flower and berry production, so can create a nice neat fruiting hedge.
They're particularly good as cloud pruned specimens @thevictorian . I sometimes pass one in a garden if I'm heading north east - maybe Cupar or around there. I've often admired it. There's also quite a few which are trained neatly against walls, and those are attractive too. There's a really nice, well clipped hedge along a boundary not far from me, and yes- always has plenty of flowers/berries. It's kept at around 3 or 4 feet and maybe 18 inches to 2 feet in depth Some people are always worried about getting scratched by the thorns, but I can't say it ever bothers me much when pruning any wayward stems, or cutting back harder. I'm used to getting scratched, scraped and bruised though. Part of my daily working life when I was younger
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
One of the reasons I like pyracantha is it can be cut to a framework where you won't stop flower and berry production, so can create a nice neat fruiting hedge.
Can I ask how this works?
You basically cut it back to the desired shape and because they flower on old wood, you can then cut back to this same point every year. With ours it gets two cuts per year, the first after flowering and then again nearer the autumn when the berries have been produced, both times you get an easy marker of where to cut back to.
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The hedge would ideally be 2/ 2.5m high with a 12m width. Behind the hedge there is an expanse of overgrowth and brambles so this side wouldn't be cut.
Can I ask how this works?
Some people are always worried about getting scratched by the thorns, but I can't say it ever bothers me much when pruning any wayward stems, or cutting back harder. I'm used to getting scratched, scraped and bruised though. Part of my daily working life when I was younger
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You basically cut it back to the desired shape and because they flower on old wood, you can then cut back to this same point every year. With ours it gets two cuts per year, the first after flowering and then again nearer the autumn when the berries have been produced, both times you get an easy marker of where to cut back to.