[Blackpool rocket]

Hello all, this is my first post (apart from saying "hello" on the "say hello" bit,) so I hope I'm in the right place.

I expect my question has been asked before but it seemed like a good way to start.

I have a beech hedge which is about 40ft long. It is very well established.

I really want to cut it back.....really hard, I guess we've lost about 3' of garden width. This is about how much it has grown out. I try to keep it under control every year (adequately) but it's in the front garden & our cars park "nose in"

If I cut it back to the "trunk", they're probably about 5-6" it will obviously be very bare but will it grow back? If I could confine it's outward growth to about 1' I would be very happy.

Or perhaps it would be better to do it in 2 goes half this year, half next.

I guess I can do the same with the height, it's about 8-9' I would like it to be about 6'

Anyway, thanks for your advice.

Blackpool rocket

[Kristen]

It should re-sprout from being cut back, but definitely not if you cut it back to the trunk.  I'm sceptical you will be able to maintain it at 1' thickness - I very much doubt that there are enough branches, coming off the main stem, to provide enough shoots to create a nice, complete, vertical "wall" with only a foot of length from the trunk. I reckon on hedges being 2' thick (either side of the trunk, so 4' wide in total), and thus your 3' is not much over that.

Definitely only cut one side at a time (not sure you were planning to cut the other side though ...)

If at all possible "batter" it so that it is wider at bottom than top - that will let more light into the bottom and help it to bush up, otherwise the bottom will be shaded and might grow back patchy.

No problem reducing the height. Cut it down to at least 6" below the desired final height, and let it regrow and bush out, and then cut at final height (in August, say)

[Blackpool rocket]

Thanks for that Kristen, I'll reduce the width as far as I dare, but leave "branches" on.
The height part is good news!! That's going to create a huge amount of debris 

The other problem is that the hedge is "L" shaped, with an arch which forms the entrance to the drive. The top of the arch is about 20'.
Trying to maintain a "Napoleon's Hat" appearance, as opposed to "Half a Polo" is always a problem. This will be exacerbated when I reduce the height.

Anyway, thanks for your help, appreciated.

b r

[Kristen]

The other problem is that the hedge is "L" shaped, with an arch which forms the entrance to the drive. The top of the arch is about 20'.
Trying to maintain a "Napoleon's Hat" appearance, as opposed to "Half a Polo" is always a problem. This will be exacerbated when I reduce the height.

Presumable when you lower the height you will have to reduce the width (on the outsides of arch) of the "verticals" exposed by lowering the rest of the hedge, so that they can grow out and leaf up to form a new, continuous, edge with the original arch.  When you lower the height the exposed verticals are not going to have any leaf on the "outside"

I'm sure you'd already thought of that? but my reckoning is to put them on a diet on the outside, this year, so that they grow back to the actual finished edge position that you want.

Feed the hedge in the Spring, something relatively high in Nitrogen, in the spring just as all the leaves fall off and the buds fatten and start to break.  It will need some help recovering (and my guess is that you don't normally feed it ...) if we get a major drought this summer I'd be inclined to water it (heavily, but only once a week) so that it is not under any additional stress.

[Goosegirl]

I go with what Kirsten says - sound advice. Presume it is 3 ft total width not 3 ft on each side. It won't mind its height reducing but, if you want to cut it back on both sides at the same time it will get stressed so perhaps cut it back by about a half of what you want, feed and let it recover then see how it goes later on.

[Blackpool rocket]

I go with what Kirsten says - sound advice. Presume it is 3 ft total width not 3 ft on each side. .

Well, sort of. Our side is 3' our neighbour is a little more disciplined than me so his side is always trimmed right back, so he probably has 18"

I have never fed or watered the hedge and it's always been absolutely rampant.
I trained the arch as a bit of a whim when we first arrived, I sometimes wish I hadn't because it's so high, but it does look good.

Thanks for your advice, I'll try & take it all on board.

[Kristen]

I have never fed or watered the hedge and it's always been absolutely rampant.

ordinarily I wouldn't either - it would just encourage more growth that then needed clipping! but after serious / heavy pruning it will be stressed and helping it recover, particularly if its a drought year, would be useful insurance.