Bob wrote:

................ within three years I had a really healthy
copper beech hedge of about five feet high and 30
inches wide. If you have the time it may be worth a try.

Yes, I'm prepared to wait and see what new shoots the beech throws up,
although I might infill between the trunks with something in the short term.

I'm certainly not keen to dig out the root balls :-)
--
Mike
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Bob wrote:

................ within three years I had a really healthy
copper beech hedge of about five feet high and 30
inches wide. If you have the time it may be worth a try.

Yes, I'm prepared to wait and see what new shoots the beech throws up,
although I might infill between the trunks with something in the short term.

I'm certainly not keen to dig out the root balls :-)
--
Mike
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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.

.................................................. ...........................................
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.
................................................. .......................................

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.

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.

.................................................. ...........................................
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.
................................................. .......................................

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.

Janet Baraclough .. wrote:

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.



And perfectly sound advice it was too.

That's the problem with following internet advice, you get the answer to the
question you ask, not the solution to your problem; which might well be
something quite else which the person proffering advice cannot see or know.

Personally, I only ever use advice in groups like this on trivial matters or
as a starting point on more important matters or when I cant' decide between
options I understand.

pk

Janet Baraclough .. wrote:

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.



And perfectly sound advice it was too.

That's the problem with following internet advice, you get the answer to the
question you ask, not the solution to your problem; which might well be
something quite else which the person proffering advice cannot see or know.

Personally, I only ever use advice in groups like this on trivial matters or
as a starting point on more important matters or when I cant' decide between
options I understand.

pk

Janet Baraclough .. wrote:

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.



And perfectly sound advice it was too.

That's the problem with following internet advice, you get the answer to the
question you ask, not the solution to your problem; which might well be
something quite else which the person proffering advice cannot see or know.

Personally, I only ever use advice in groups like this on trivial matters or
as a starting point on more important matters or when I cant' decide between
options I understand.

pk

An indignant Janet Baraclough threw down her trowel, stormed out of the
potting shed and wrote:

As the person who gave that advice in a different context,
I resent the implication that it was at fault.

And who exactly has implied that your advice was at fault? I thought your
reply was very helpful and I have taken your 'bite the bullet' option.

Back then, your header suggested you wanted to POLLARD
a TREE, and you made no mention of a hedge.

That's right, I did want to POLLARD a TREE (no need to shout!). The fact
that the tree was originally planted as part of a beech hedge by previous
occupiers of the property and never trimmed was totally irrelevant to my
question at that time. The problem then was this large (triple-trunked)
BEECH TREE, I mean beech tree, that had got out of hand.

In effect my approx. 7 metre long beech hedge had become one large and two
small beech trees, with the rest of the hedge killed off by these three
dominant trees.

Now I've cut the three trees down, I want to reinstate the hedge, hence my
latest post which now mentions hedges and not POLLARDING, because POLLARDING
is now irrelevant to the question.

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.

Not that it matters, but I see no mention of cutting back to 6" in your
original post.

Now, why don't you cut short the self-reproach and answer my conifer
question? ;-)
--
Mike
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