Hedge cutting in winter

Christine Johnson2

I live on the south coast in Sussex and I need to cut my beech hedge before nesting season, the hedge still has its brown leaves.  Can I cut it now in freezing weather?

Loxley

I would avoid cutting it in freezing weather but when it's mild it should be OK. Shame to lose the brown leaves. In future trim it around the last week of August and it will regrow leaves that will last all winter.

Topbird

You can certainly cut a beech hedge in winter - it's actually the very best time if you want to do a very hard cut back to encourage the hedge to thicken up. 

Personally, I'd not do it when there's a really hard frost on the cards (it was -7C here in Suffolk at 8am this morning) - but I'm not sure there's a proven reason for that reservation!

We usually do ours at the end of August so the hedge has a chance to grow back a bit to provide winter screening. This year, however, the hedge was showing clear signs of stress from drought and extraordinary heat so we chose not to stress it further by encouraging more growth. We'll need to give ours a good trim soon.

Topbird

@Loxley - snap!! 😁

Topbird

Had to try to answer my own question. It seems most farmers have no reservations about cutting hedges in frosty weather. They're certainly doing it in the fields around here. Mainly hawthorn and blackthorn but I think it would apply to beech as well:

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/hedge-cutting-in-frost-yes-or-no.268228/

Perki

I wouldn't worry about trimming a deciduous hedge in winter even with the cold snap , however if you have time to do it later when it warms up a tad I'd do it then. 

I've postponed hedge trimming at the moment particular conifer hedges, they probably be ok but like I said above if you can do it later when the weather better or at the very least when its not going below minus 5 do it then.