Is beech good for hedging?
Is beech good for hedging?
Beech (Fagus Sylvatica) Beech hedging is a deciduous hedge plant that provides all year screening and colour. Beech hedge plants can form dense hedges that are easily maintained and only need pruning once annually. This enhances its winter appearance and makes beech hedging suitable as a year round hedge screen.
What is the best time of year to plant a beech hedge?
We are often asked this question – from a horticultural point of view the very best time to plant almost all Beech hedge plants (especially bare roots and rootballs) is in late Autumn or early Winter.
How long does a beech hedge last?
A Beech hedge can last hundreds of years so it is important that you prepare the site thoroughly before planting. The single most important thing is that there is no competition for food or water from other flora (weeds, including grass). Young beech saplings of 40-60 or 60-80 cms tall can be slit planted (see below).
Which grows faster beech or hornbeam?
Hornbeam has crinkled leaves that some people consider less beautiful than beech. In a site with some shade, or in a cold, exposed area, or in a frost pocket, Hornbeam will be the faster growing of the two.
Is beech hedge poisonous to dogs?
Beech. These are one of the more popular hedges with dog owners. Dogs digging them out is not a problem, and even if your puppy gets chewing on the beech, they should be fine.
How far should a beech hedge be from a fence?
NB: How near to a fence or wall can I plant a hedge? As a general rule allow an absolute minimum of 45cm though, to be on the safe side, 60cm would be advisable – and wider if you are planning on letting your new hedge grow to a height of two metres plus.
Do beech hedges have deep roots?
Beech trees may have shallow roots but they have some coping strategies. If one is uprooted, it can produce new shoots, phoenix-like, from a seemingly ruined root system.
How can you tell beech from hornbeam?
Differences: Beech leaves are glossier and thinner – Hornbeam are a more matt green, with deep veins and a slightly serrated edge. Beech winter leaves are a bright copper colour – Hornbeam are a darker, grey-brown. Beech doesn’t like to be in damp soil – Hornbeam is happy in a moist but not waterlogged site.
Why do beech hedges keep their leaves?
Beech saplings in plantations will retain their leaves throughout winter to protect the young plants from the ravages of winter. As beech hedges are trimmed regularly, and thus emulate the vulnerable sapling in as much as they are never allowed to reach full growth, they too retain their leaves.
Is beech bark poisonous?
In large quantities, they are toxic to both humans and dogs especially when they are green or uncooked. Dogs are more prone to beech tree poisoning because they will also eat the husk of the beechnut where the strongest concentration of toxic compounds is found.
How big should the rows be for a beech hedge?
The rows are 40 cms apart and the plants are at 33cms spacings within the row. However one row is “offset from the other by 16-17cms so that looked at the right way up any 5 plants would make a “W” if they were joined up. So for a double row you will need to allow 5 trees per metre.
When is the best time to plant a beech hedge?
Ideally plant on a calm or cloudy day so that your plants don’t have to cope with wind and the drying conditions of wind and sun. Wait until the soil isn’t frozen solid or waterlogged before you start planting. You should plant your saplings in late winter or early spring for the best results.
What kind of soil do you need for a beech hedge?
Beech will thrive in either acid or alkaline soil. The only thing you should really avoid when picking out a spot to plant your hedge is soil that has a lot of clay in it, or that often gets soggy (be it from a sprinkler or a downward slope that makes water collect in that area). Check to see if your soil has clay in it.
What kind of plants can you put in a hedge?
Holly plants have shiny, evergreen foliage made of spiky leaves. Flowering in the summer before producing red berries in the winter adds color to yards throughout most of the year. European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) — Beech trees are fast-growing deciduous trees that can be clipped into formal hedges.