Pruning My Hornbeam Hedge
It's pruning time for the hornbeams at my farm.
This week, the outdoor grounds crew trimmed the tall hornbeam hedge in front of my main greenhouse. Botanically known as Carpinus betulus, the hornbeam is a fast-growing deciduous tree - it can grow about four to five feet per year. I like to maintain it using a traditional European style of pruning, so it has a nice, sculpted appearance. This means, it’s crucial that the hedge is pruned regularly, so it doesn’t look overgrown and unruly.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This tall hornbeam hedge grows in the parking lot directly in front of my main greenhouse. It is quite pretty here but serves primarily as a privacy and noise barrier from the road.
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- Here’s Chhewang working on the bottom sections. Hornbeams grow quickly, so it is important to trim and sculpt it regularly – we do this task every year around this time. Hornbeam is also very hardy and frost resistant, which is good in this area.
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- And here’s Chhiring on a ladder working on the front of the top sections.
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- We use a traditional English style of pruning, which includes a lot of straight, clean edges. A well-manicured hedge can be stunning in any garden but left unchecked, it could look unruly.
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- The English hornbeam is related to the beech tree, with a similar leaf shape. On the hornbeam, the leaves are actually smaller and more deeply furrowed than beech leaves. They become golden yellow to orange before falling in autumn.
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- Here, new growth can be seen growing wildly.
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- Using Japanese Okatsune shears specially made for trimming hedges, Chhewang is able to prune the hornbeams so they are nice and flat. These shears are user-friendly and come in a range of sizes.
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- The cuts are very clean and smooth when done by hand.
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- It is more time consuming this way, but it is also more exact, and that’s important when sculpting formal hedges.
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- Looking up, it is clear what has been trimmed and what has not.
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- And look at all the cut leaves – this is just from the front of the sections.
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- Chhewang also trims the roadside of the hedge, which is not sculpted but pruned flat.
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- After the roadside of the hornbeam hedge is finished, Chhewang moves onto the flat tops of the hedges. Because the hedge is accessible from the parking area, the Hi-Lo always comes in handy for this task.
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- Chhewang is lifted close to the hedge, so he could safely trim from the cage of the Hi-Lo.
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- Here is a view looking down from the Hi-Lo.
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- Chhewang is carried from section to section very carefully. This is also a good time for him to assess the pruning from another angle, and to decide where adjustments are needed. Here, he is using a long-reach hand pruner.
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- It is now beginning to look very straight and square, with the taller sections protruding just a bit.
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- There’s just a little more to do.
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- All the clippings are loaded onto the dump truck and then taken to the compost pile where they will decompose for next year’s garden dressing.
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- And here is the finished hedge – trimmed beautifully. It looks great. What pruning jobs are you doing around your home this weekend? Share your comments below.
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