Red Cedar hedge

petehaskell

Hi..... I could do with some advice please. I have planted a red cedar hedge and would like  to have a pleached effect with the foliage starting about 6' above ground level. The plants are about 12' high now ..... when do I start to remove the lower branches, some are quite substantial now. Do I wait until they have reached the desired height or do it gradually? Any advice would be greatly appreciated...... thanks 

Obelixx

I spent 25 years living in Belgium where pleaching is a common solution to the need for privacy, especially in front gardens to give privacy but also in public places to give shade to seating areas, car parks etc.   I've also seen afabulous pleached copper beech hedge at Chelsea Flower Show.

Haven't tried it myself yet and haven't seen it done with evergreens but the RH offers this info - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=155

and this https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=587 which may help.