My hedge had very tiny black caterpillars on it and they have eaten there is not one leave without damage
Unfortunately, your photo did not come through.
These articles will help in the meantime:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/what-are-organic-pesticides.htm
My well established 20 feet high 100 long beech hedge has put on very few new leaves this year and the remaining leaves are brown and dead. I suspect a dry May, strong winds and large trees behind it may have dried it out. What do you think? Do you think it will recover please?
It, very well, could have been the large tree that is nearby.
Depending on the type of tree, it could have been allelopathic to your Beech.
Unfortunately, your photo did not come through, so I am unable to assess the damage.
What I can do in the meantime is provide some of our articles for the care of Beeches and how to prune. This will offer tips on keeping them healthy, and helping to return vigor to the hedge.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/beech
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/beech/prune-beech-hedge-trees.htm
The hedge is 30+ years old and is about 10 foot high. It needs cutting back to reduce the width. I know this can be done in Feb/March but for pressing reasons I would like it done now. Do I risk damaging the hedge if we have a severe winter? I took about 1 foot off the top in September which has new growth coming through. Thank you. Barry PLews
This kind of pruning can be done, best, in February! Hard pruning to reduce size is best done during the Winter. This article will offer some more information:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/beech/prune-beech-hedge-trees.htm
Hi, I'm looking for a bit of advice on my beech I have. I have just purchased a property and got about 130 feet of Beech hedge. Im sure it is Fagus sylvatica. It's been trimmed previously down to about 2 to 3 feet high. I'm wanting it to be about 5 feet +. Is there anything you can advise that I could do to help it grow any faster? If not then how tall do they usually grow per year?
Beech grows moderately to fast, 30 to 60 cm (12 to 23 inches) a year. Give it proper care to keep it growing well. These articles should help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/beech/prune-beech-hedge-trees.htm
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/beech/growing-guide
https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/fagus-sylvatica
Hi. I have read your articles regarding maintaining my beech hedge. What I would like to know please is if I can carry out different processes within the same year to keep the hedge looking ok most of the time. My hedge is around 100m long, 3m+ deep and similar height ,rather scruffy and far too big. I don't want to thin it too much as it provides a barrier to my property. First process seems to be in June when it should be trimmed which will make it less scruffy but is hard work due to the height and won't make it much smaller. My question is, if I do that June process, then cut it back more aggresively in August so that it is leafy in winter, can I also attack it again in the late winter/spring time to make it significantly smaller i.e. 50% of its current height and depth. A final question, I am planning to chop part of it down completely, if I leave one or two bushes on their own, can it made to become more of a tree than a bush? Thanks for your help. Andrew
I think this article indicates that you can trim it throughout the year, "regularly" and "routinely," reserving any hard pruning for winter when it's dormant. Here's an article about trimming a shrub into a tree: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/shgen/pruning-a-shrub-into-a-tree.htm
Hello. I wish to reclaim a part of my garden which is between my fence and my beech hedge. Iwant to take my fence down and move it back to be adjacent to the hedge. The gap between them is one metre 3 feet width and 48 ft length so a good long strip to reclaim. I have taken the main branches of the hedge on the garden side back to the main trunk and want to stop them from growing back. I want the other side of the hedge facing the fields to continue growing. Is there a solution I could paint/ treat the sawn branches with to stop them growing .
I'm not sure you can stop it from growing on that side, but here's an article that will explain how to trim it: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/beech/prune-beech-hedge-trees.htm
The roots and trunk of old beach bush in my front garden ( circa 1.5m wide by 1.75m tall and trunk circa 300mm diameter) has pushed over my brick garden wall (single skin 13 course high 3.4m long pier either end). I like the bush but before replacing the wall would I be wise to remove the bush?
You could always dig it up and move it to another part of the garden.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/transplanting-trees.htm