Beech not held its leaves
 

Hi

Last year our mature and high beech hedges seemed to have held their
leaves a lot better than this winter - it's really very thin coverage in
places and you can see right through big patches of bare twigs. We left
it a bit late to trim it this time, although it was also late last year,
could that explain it, or is it more likely down to weather conditions?

What is the best advice for helping beech to hold onto its leaves?

Happy Christmas to everyone by the way.

Lynda

Beech not held its leaves
 

In article ,
Lynda Thornton writes:
|
| Last year our mature and high beech hedges seemed to have held their
| leaves a lot better than this winter - it's really very thin coverage in
| places and you can see right through big patches of bare twigs. We left
| it a bit late to trim it this time, although it was also late last year,
| could that explain it, or is it more likely down to weather conditions?

The weather. It is a LOT colder this winter than last.

| What is the best advice for helping beech to hold onto its leaves?

Keep it well trimmed. Seriously. Young beeches keep their leaves;
old ones drop them; the smaller and closer trimmed a hedge is, the
more it behaves like a young beech. Don't ask me why.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Beech not held its leaves
 

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

In article ,
Lynda Thornton writes:
|
| Last year our mature and high beech hedges seemed to have held their
| leaves a lot better than this winter - it's really very thin coverage in
| places and you can see right through big patches of bare twigs. We left
| it a bit late to trim it this time, although it was also late last year,
| could that explain it, or is it more likely down to weather conditions?

The weather. It is a LOT colder this winter than last.

| What is the best advice for helping beech to hold onto its leaves?

Keep it well trimmed. Seriously. Young beeches keep their leaves;
old ones drop them; the smaller and closer trimmed a hedge is, the
more it behaves like a young beech. Don't ask me why.

Hi Nick

Thanks - I think some other gardens have also got thin beech coverage
from what I can see on our road. We will give the hedges a good hard
trim next summer - I assume late August is the right time, not before?

Best wishes for Christmas

Lynda

Beech not held its leaves
 

Lynda Thornton wrote:
Thanks - I think some other gardens have also got thin beech coverage
from what I can see on our road. We will give the hedges a good hard
trim next summer - I assume late August is the right time, not before?

Yes, perhaps twice a year is good for beech hedge, May and August. If
you haven't done it before I would suggest you do it twice. It made me
think though if we have a problem with our weather - shouldn't we move
forward by 1 month with our pruning? Seeing the state of my lilacs ...
it's so sad. All the leaves have gone now and at the extremities of the
branches there's little round clusters of flowers (not at all the cone
shape of the ordinary lilac). It's a very strange phenomenon, but I now
wonder if I will have the wonderful scent I get from my trees next
spring :o(

I have a lil' beech tree which I have grown from seed. 8 years ago
Gardeners Question Time on the radio said it would be a good year for
the seeds. I took a handful from Styal Forest and planted them all in
my garden. I got lucky with one, which I moved 6 years ago from it's
birthplace to a place it will stay hopefully for ever. It's got all its
leaves though - always keep them until new ones arrive.

Beech not held its leaves
 

In article .com,
"La Puce" writes:
|
| I have a lil' beech tree which I have grown from seed. 8 years ago
| Gardeners Question Time on the radio said it would be a good year for
| the seeds. I took a handful from Styal Forest and planted them all in
| my garden. I got lucky with one, which I moved 6 years ago from it's
| birthplace to a place it will stay hopefully for ever.

Probably only for a few centuries at most :-)

| It's got all its
| leaves though - always keep them until new ones arrive.

That will change as it matures.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.