I planted 35 metres of 60/90cm bare-rooted green beech hedging in
mid-December, but have only now (early February) realised that I
should have cut back all the shoots by 1/3rd immediately after
planting. This cutting back advice came from various gardening books,
which I really should have read before planting the hedge! Should I
do this cutting now, or leave it until later in the year?

Advice will be much appreciated - preparing the ground and planting
was a major task, and I really wouldn't like to do anything which
might reduce the viability of the hedge!

In message , Bernie
Donohoe writes
I planted 35 metres of 60/90cm bare-rooted green beech hedging in
mid-December, but have only now (early February) realised that I
should have cut back all the shoots by 1/3rd immediately after
planting. This cutting back advice came from various gardening books,
which I really should have read before planting the hedge! Should I
do this cutting now, or leave it until later in the year?

Advice will be much appreciated - preparing the ground and planting
was a major task, and I really wouldn't like to do anything which
might reduce the viability of the hedge!

You should be fine to cut it back now - it'll not have started growing
yet, you could even still plant them now anyway.

Anyway, cutting or not cutting back won't affect the viability, it just
to encourage the plants to bush out a bit more.
--
Chris French and Helen Johnson, Leeds
urg Suppliers and References FAQ:
http://www.familyfrench.co.uk/garden/urgfaq/index.html