When to Prune Beech Hedge

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pennypincher

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Can anyone help me I have a beech hedge that was only planted last october/november and I'm wondering do I need to prune it in the first year and if so when?I read somewhere about pruning it in July but that's the middle of the summer,which seems a bit odd as the hedge is growing very quickly this time of year.
 
"Topiary and leafy, formal hedges like beech and conifers need clipping twice a year (June and again in late August) if you want them looking perfect. However, you can get away with just the late August cut if you don’t mind your hedges looking a bit 'stubbly' during summer."

It is illegal to cut hedges in Ireland between 1/03 and 31/08 as it's contrary to the Wildlife act and yeah i was amazed when I found that out too
[broken link removed]
 
Really surprised by this! I knew the Wildlife Protection Act prohibiting cutting back hedges and trees during the nesting season but the young left the nests long ago (we're in JULY - well past Summer Solstice).
 
Marie,
I disagree with you that the birds have left the nest by the solstice, maybe the first clutch have but they sometimes have another. I am an wild bird enthusiast and where I live we observe the bird life and we have a great variety of birds and unfortunately I have to observe the sparrow hawk attacking to have his meal but that is the natural food chain.

I have over the years objected to the council for cutting hedgerows in June during the vital nesting season and have on occasions contacted a radio program to get support for my objection because the government bodies involved dismissed me as a crank or a nuisance.
 
Not a bird expert, but Ican tell you the contents of the nest on nextdoors house alarm box, just under the eaves , have missed the solstice deadline, or maybe theyre too comfortable.
Either way things are hectic of late with a lot of toing and froing.
The ban on hedge cutting up to late August is probably for their relatives.
 

does that mean in theory that every house in ireland with a hedge should not cut it for that period....so how many thousands of people break the law in that case??
 
What Carpenter said here makes no sense , sorry Carpenter. In all earnest : Wildlife makes no difference of private or public hedges or native ones. And the law is there to protect wildlife, not the public/native hedge .
But back to the original post ; young trees are like children . They must be allowed to grow freely and not beeing restraint . Only when the root system has developed enough to suply the bleeding twigs with enough nutients to heal them AND keeping the rest of the plant thriving than - and only than- you can prune them.
 
Legend says
does that mean in theory that every house in ireland with a hedge should not cut it for that period....so how many thousands of people break the law in that case??

Yes and don't know ! I only quoted the law as it is - are you suggesting that the law should be changed because many people ignore it ? Apply that logic to speed limits which are ignored by thousands on a daily basis !!!

Carpenter says
I think the Act specifically refers to native species hedgerows....
I don't - I think it applies to all hedges. [broken link removed]

heinbloed says
But back to the original post ; young trees are like children . They must be allowed to grow freely and not beeing restraint . Only when the root system has developed enough to suply the bleeding twigs with enough nutients to heal them AND keeping the rest of the plant thriving than - and only than- you can prune them.

As I understand it the law is there to protect nesting birds and not the trees.
 
there are a multitude of issues being raised here! Of course no-one is suggesting birds and wildlife in (sub)urban gardens not be respected! Of course it must be! However there's a world of difference between taking strimmer or shears to clip 'your' garden hedge and the annual pruning required to manage two or three miles of hedgerow across a stretch of countryside. That is why such a 'law' is reasonable in the second but not in the first instance. With your garden hedge the scale is such you can detect the presence of nests and broods of youngsters and not go ahead with pruning or keep well clear of the nesting-site. In the latter that is not an option without huge expense in labour-time and effort.

I challenge ANYONE to have a privet or other hedge which is let run riot without at least three clippings during the summer. If you do be prepared to have your entire garden taken over by an eyesore.

To Heinbloed's comments about bleeding bushes.....'management' of shrubs, trees and in fact every living growing thing is essential! The ancient forests were 'managed' by our forebears; the Amazonian tribes 'manage' the vast forest they live in by 'slash-and-burn' husbandry which regularly gets rid of rampant invasives; the most casual-seeming demaisnes are 'managed'.........sensitively and unobtrusively but managed nevertheless. Clipping hedges is another form of 'pinching out' the tips of a plant, stimulating growth at ground level. If you don't prune/clip you get a straggly monstrosity with a gap of 2-3' between the ground and the lower growth. Depending on the species there are more or less appropriate times to prune or clip dependant on the time of flowering and length between flowering and fruiting and the recovery period that particular species requires between these processes.
 
Marie says:
there are a multitude of issues being raised here! Of course no-one is suggesting birds and wildlife in (sub)urban gardens not be respected! Of course it must be! However there's a world of difference between taking strimmer or shears to clip 'your' garden hedge and the annual pruning required to manage two or three miles of hedgerow across a stretch of countryside. That is why such a 'law' is reasonable in the second but not in the first instance.

The problem with your analysis Marie is that you are distinguishing between a 5 metres privet and a 2 kilometre hedgerow. The law doesn't ! It specifically says " It shall be an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing in any hedge ........" . You see it says " ANY " hedge - what could be more clear? Have a read of it yourself [broken link removed]
Yourself and carpenter clearly think it's bullshit which is fair enough but don't shoot the messenger, I only quoted the law as it is ! I can't imagine what this country would be like if everyone broke laws that they saw as being unreasonable.
 

I'm not saying other than the fact that its an amazing law...it could be enforced extremely easily against 95% of householders so why isn't it? Is it because its a law that is good in principle, bad in practice?
P.S. I'm certainly not knocking you demoivre!!!
 
I'm not saying other than the fact that its an amazing law...it could be enforced extremely easily against 95% of householders so why isn't it? Is it because its a law that is good in principle, bad in practice?
P.S. I'm certainly not knocking you demoivre!!!

No offence taken . I was as surprised as you to learn about this law and I only heard about it this year. I have seen several people cutting their hedges in recent weeks and I'd say they are genuinely oblivious to the law regarding hedge cutting. I have only heard of one case where the local council called out to a guy and told him he shouldn't be cutting his hedge at this time of year. I have no idea why this law isn't enforced more generally.
 
When legislators are writing new laws, they often find it difficult to find a form of wording that facilitates enforcement of the law as intended and also sets out commonsense limits within which the law will apply. It is often easier to frame the law in a way which leaves it having wider application that would normally be expected. Otherwise those charged with offences would find it relatively easy to challenge laws on the basis that they were badly worded.

It is therefore up to the forces of the State to decide which aspects of the law are worthwhile of enforcement and which can safely be ignored. This means that some laws when read literally appear illogical or just plain daft. The above is an example. The authorities have no bugbear with the vast majority of cases of householders trimming hedges. However without the law being framed as it is, they would be incapable of prosecuting cases of serious and wilful destruction of natural habitats.
 
Ubiquitous has oiled the potentially-troubled waters with common sense (which despite it's name is an uncommon human attribute!

Demi, I hope you can accept that my postings were not intended personally and any impression that they were is an outcome of my clumsy construction. I'm a fierce protector of the environment even to the extent of not owning or driving a car. I am very pleased at the growing awareness of the damage being done to natural habitats and the accellerating loss of species and hopefully this law - intelligently interpreted - will play its part.
 
It is always better to get first hand information .

Call 01 6472404 or 01 6472412 .

Wildlife doesn't come in a jar. It includes all things dead and alive .The flowers of the "weeds" as well as the creepy crawlies . On which the birds and the martens prey . To keep the hedge alive , Marie . Paradise - the garden as such - knows no clipping shear . At least in the more civil cultures . But of course , the cave man’s culture is a bit different from that . The cave man fears nature and is always desperate . Even in summer time , even in front of his own cave - where nature could provide him with joy and happiness has to be on warre . You call that barbarian atidude " managing " .
 

Have you been drinking anti-corrosion hheating system products hein?!!
 
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