Category Archives: Hedging & Tree Jobs

When do I clip, trim & prune my hedge? Winter and Summer.

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Winter is generally the best time to prune something and it sure is the best time to trim a young hedge.

Hedges must be clipped and sometimes pruned. Fruit trees need some pruning to maintain the best crops. Older ornamental trees can need pruning if they are damaged or get in the way.

Why is winter usually the “best” time to prune and clip your hedge or tree?

During winter, pruning above ground will cut off the least energy from the plants.
The plant’s sugary sap is stored underground, in the roots.

Mature hedges are good to trim in summer.
Mature hedges that flower are best trimmed after the flower or seeds have fallen.

Beech and Hornbeam are clipped in summer to encourage them to keep their autumn leaves all winter.

Cherry fruit and flowering cherry trees are an exception, they should be pruned in summer to avoid the risk of disease.

But all hedges or other trees and fruit are best trimmed in winter. Dead, diseased or damaged branches should be removed as and when they appear.

Bare root Hedging – Planting Time is Near

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The quickest, cheapest and in the long run generally the most successful way to get a hedge the neighbours will be jealous of is by using bare root hedging plants.

The time to plant them is from the middle of November onwards (until the end of February really, although with TLC in April they can be planted in March as well).

The time to plan for that planting is NOW.

Here is what you need to consider.

How long with the hedge be and will you plant in one or two rows (you need two rows if the hedge is to be stockproof, if it is to replace a fence or if you want extra density as in the case of a windbreak). That determines how many plants you will need – generally 3 per metre for a single row and 5 per metre for a double one.

Deal with the weeds.  Perennial weeds are the number one enemy of newly planted hedging.  Either kill them by using a glyphos based weedkiller, or kill them by covering them with a light (but not water) proof membrane. Our woven polypropylene is good for the job, but you can use almost anything the weeds can’t grow through. Whatever you do, kill them.

Unfortunately, by now the membrane will only work for hedges where you do not intend to dig over the ground later as you have to leave it down. However there is nothing to stop you doing your digging first and then covering with fabric and planting through that.

Arrange your planters – have a planting party, or invite some unsuspecting friends over….  if you want a professional to do the job, just ask us as we sell to hundreds of planters around the country and can almost certainly recommend someone near you.

And order  your plants – it is always best to do that as soon as you can so you be sure they are delivered when you want them; this is the busy time of year for bare root hedging and delivery weeks fill up incredibly rapidly.

And then sit back, relax and wait for them to turn up…

We have a great range if you want to have a look at our bare root hedging plants…

What is the World Coming To?

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Faithful followers will have read more than one post on this blog about the various merits of hedging and ornamental trees.  A couple have been their ability to contribute to the security and privacy of your home. 

Well, the ability of the criminal classes to plumb ever lower depths is undiminished.  There was a report last week that police have warned garden owners living in Watford, Hertfordshire, to be on the look out for a man in early middle age who is posing as a fake gardening contractor and tree surgeon and who is trying to trick them in to allowing him access to their homes.  If he can, he gets inside and nicks stuff (including their gardening tools).  Downside of hedge plants clearly is that he will steal your clippers…. 

But what is the problem with standard trees that need a bit of surgery I hear you ask.  Well, wait for it.  He goes up the tree and then takes pictures of you and (presumably) your “friends” and neighbours.  Heaven knows where they end up, but so much for privacy…

 

Cut the Cordon now!

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This is just about pruning cordons – there is a much longer piece on growing cordon fruit trees if you would like to know more.

Cordons should be pruned every year around mid August (i.e. about now). Your cordon is ready for pruning when the new side shoots from the main stem(s) become woody at their base. Shorten all of this new growth from the main stem to 3 or 4 leaves above the basal cluster of leaves at the base of the shoot – see the diagram below.
Where a shoot from the main stem has a side shoot coming of it, prune this also – to one leaf above the cluster of leaves its base.

Summer Pruning Cordon Fruit Trees

Pruning Cordons

Pruning of fruit trees is generally carried out in winter or early spring. Cordons are different in that you restrict their growth by pruning now and the ideal cordon is compact and covered in fruiting spurs (which this treatment encourages).

You can use this technique on any shape of fruit tree if you wish to restrict its size but at the same time ensure it produces lots of fruit.  The trick is to use a M9 semi-dwarfing or MM106 semi-vigorous rootstock

We hope your plants have grown well this summer (certainly not much need to water!)

Watch your plants grow, and enjoy!