Trimming, Pruning Etc A Beech Hedge

Question

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

Answer 1

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