The message
from "mlv" contains these words:

"Chris Boulby asked:

Why would you cut down a wonderful hedge of beech?

Just following the advice given by this ng on 4 December 2001 (thread:
Pollarding Beech) :-)

As the person who gave that advice in a different context, I resent
the implication that it was at fault. Back then, your header suggested
you wanted to POLLARD a TREE, and you made no mention of a hedge.

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The message
from "mlv" contains these words:


I have a beech tree which has got out of hand. It has a trunk which divides
into three quite low down and then the whole tree tends to bush out.
It has looked really nice for the past few years, but know needs to be
brought under control and reduced both in height and girth.
The question is, can a beech tree be well cut back and will it branch out
again? Does it have the ability to shoot out from the trunk and recover?

(JB reply) Yes; even large beech, when felled, will sprout from below
the cut.
But if you cut back all three trunks, the regrowth will never become
a shapely tree with a single smooth trunk...it will be a multi
trunked tree around the stump of the cut(s), and will need continual
attention with thinning, to prevent it becoming ever wider and
bushier than it presently is.
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Surely it would be better to cut it back rather than get
rid altogether. They make such wonderful hedges.

That was my original plan, but the hedge was now trees and cutting it back
to 6ft high left me with plain trunks between 8" and 16" diameter.

Had you felled the trunks to 6", and let them bush up as I described,
you would have a good new beech hedge by now.

Janet.