How hard can you cut back beech hedging?

ThisIsWeird

This is on top of a stone-faced bank, two very well established rows of beech trees acting as a hedge.

I've cut one row flush with the ground - trunks ranging from 3" to 6" diameter - as the hedge is plenty thick enough with just one row. I'd like to cut/trim the remaining row back quite hard too, as it's harder to hedge-trim back each year without exposing the thick, bare branches behind. I presume this is an Autumn-ish job, so it has a chance to re-bud over Winter & Spring?

The Q is - just how hard can I cut it back? I know it'll look a bit of a moth-eaten mess to begin with, but will new shoots grow all over?

The stumps that I've cut flush to the ground - will these sprout again?! (If so, I'll have to kill 'em...)

Thanks.

FreeBear

If you are pruning back hard, do it during the winter months whilst the hedge is dormant. Don't hack back more than 50% and you should be fine.

Pruning at ground level may well have killed that part of the hedge. But wait until spring next year to see if it does throw up any new shoots.

ThisIsWeird

Thanks FB. I'll leave the other row until much later, then.

Happy for the row I cut at ground level to not come back at all - that was the idea

twopenny

I live in an area where laying beech hedges is a thing.
You may want to take a look at the process as it produces quicker results than just hacking back.
They will sprout from the base. It will sprout from damaged wood.
But imo and many in the wilds of exmoor a beech hedge is a thing of beauty.
I'll post a video if I can find one. Should save a whole lot of work 

ThisIsWeird

twopenny said:

I live in an area where laying beech hedges is a thing.
You may want to take a look at the process as it produces quicker results than just hacking back.
They will sprout from the base. It will sprout from damaged wood.
But imo and many in the wilds of exmoor a beech hedge is a thing of beauty.
I'll post a video if I can find one. Should save a whole lot of work 

I look forward :-)

I have nothing against the hedge itself - other than the fact it spends half the year brown :-)

I'm pleased it'll re-sprout, as it needs to be thicker and have less 'hollow' behind the outer covering of leaves. It'll be  a darned sight easier to trim as well...

Edit: 'Laying' - yikes! I ain't going there!

twopenny

Harder to find than I thought - I see it all the time so thought it was common but here's one on the Exmoor method which is the easiest - even though this is from Herefordshire

The idea is to make the hedge thicker at the bottom.

Cut through the main stem/stems to the bark and a bit of wood in a diagonal fashion and bend it towards the ground.

You can fiddle to make them look better and it should start sprouting next spring.

1.30 mins in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy6F_whZwPo

or an Irish one just the same but smaller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Cq8vxfrfw

If it isn't what you want it might give you some ideas you can adapt for your needs

If it's brown for 6mts is that because you are in the north where spring is later?

This was my way to work in fairly early spring. Beech hedge

My neighbour has a big bush of beech and it's lovely. Bright green for 8mts or so then beautiful copper for winter. It's been cut hard back each year and it's the new growth that's green.

ThisIsWeird

Och, I don't know quite how many months it's brown, just know it's a lot... I assume quite normal.

I'm in the SW.

That is all too much like hard work. I'm just going to cut it back harder than usual, and see what happens...

Nobbie1967

You can cut it back too hard and it won’t regrow. Someone near me did it to and old establish hedge and it now has bare patches of brown twigs which haven’t resprouted in the two years since.