[fitzie79]

I have recently planted a boundary hedging of bareroot whips consisting of hawthorn, field maple, wild rose, guelder rose and native privet. I also have hornbeam planted on one side of the boundary. I have heard different advice regarding pruning this hedging - one to prune back all of the hedging by 50% now, the other to wait till May to prune and then to repeat in August. Do the different options have different advantages/disadvantages or is there a reason to pick one over the other?

[James Kilkelly]

There is a case to be made for removing (clipping) the top third to half of growth from freshly planted containerised and bare-root hedging. This technique is the same as pinching off the top of a lanky plant to induce bushiness. Topping a newly planted hedge will spur the plants on to produce more roots, side shoots and prevent the unsightly bare "dog run" type look that many hedge bases have.

If you want to carry this out, do so upon planting or at latest by early spring ie. before new leaves emerge from buds of the hedging plants. Time to get moving.

Where did you hear the "May to prune and then to repeat in August" technique fitzie79?
I would see it as quite stressful on the plant.

[fitzie79]

thanks for the feedback.

the may to prune and again in august was from the plant supplier. it didn't sound like previous advice i'd heard.