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Moving beech hedging

Sally Baker2Sally Baker2 Posts: 3
in Plants

We have moved a 10 ft beech hedge today and although it is planted not far from our garden boundary wall, I am wondering whether to reduce the height to reduce wind rock, or will this be too much shock? I don't know if I should wait until Spring before I prune them?

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,109

    That sounds like a Herculean task!  

    I would be worried about wind-rock - you can get some powerful wind-eddies around walls - what about staking them?


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Sally Baker2Sally Baker2 Posts: 3

    I have considered tying them temporarily to wall ties or posts, will giving them a gentle chop be too much?

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Do ensure you can get behind the hedge to trim it.  You do not make it entirely clear; is the hedge 10ft high or is the length of the hedge 10ft?  If 10ft high, I would have cut it down to a reasonable height before moving it.

    You can probably reduce the height of the hedge if you wish.  It will shoot away in the Spring.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,109

    How old are the plants and how high do you want them to be eventually?  

    (And how the heck did you go about moving them?  How many of them are there - how long is the hedge?)


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,109
    Welshonion wrote (see)

    You can probably reduce the height of the hedge if you wish.  It will shoot away in the Spring.

    It will grow new shoots in the spring, but it won't develop a new leader shoot, so if they take the tops out much below the height they eventually want it to be, I think they may well be disappointed. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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  • Jeb goforitJeb goforit Posts: 1

    I moved an 8ft high beech hedge to the back of my garden from the front in November 2005 and lost 2 plants out of 24! lifted them with a mini digger without soil and planted them straight away in a trench with water and chicken manure pellets in the bottom. Watered well and more chicken manure on the top.

    The hedge is thriving and is cut twice a year!

  • ZincolaZincola Posts: 1

    Jeb what time of year did you move your hedge?

     

  • gj6tbpcrcwIsHDBmocgj6tbpcrcwIsHDBmoc Posts: 3
    Good to see it is possible. We were considering moving our mature hedge (of maybe 20years) 90 degrees to provide privacy and open the view onto the back fields. So not far but I am worried that it may be too much for it. What do people think? 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,083
    If it was mine, I'd forget it, and wait until bare root season and plant a new one in the position you want, and just cut back the existing one until it gives up. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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