Do you mean that you have cut some branches off a beech tree and you want them to grow? I doubt very much if you will have much success. Most garden centres sell bunches of small beech seedlings for people to plant in the autumn or winter to make a hedge. Much easier, more likely to grow and not at all expensive.
Beech whips cost pennies, esp bare root. Beech is unlikely to grow from clippings as they are poor are putting out roots and dry out and die. Wait a few months and buy a hedge - at least you will know they will leaf in Spring.
Hedges sit and do little for the first 2 years as they put down roots. Year three onwards expect them to get thicker and taller by up to 30cm. You will need to improve the soil before planting where Leylandii was as the soil will have no nutrients left
Usually around a foot or so (30cm) once established, but as blairs says, they take a while to get going. The better you prepare the ground first the better they'll grow and Lleylandii sucks everything out so it's worth getting as much nutrition back in theer as possible. My parents had a lovely big beech hedge and it's great for wildlife. I had a hornbeam hedge in a previous garden which is very similar to beech and copes better with wetter sites so that might be another option if your conditions are wet. Both are available in the winter from hedging suppliers as bare root/transplants which is a cheap way of doing it too.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We put a mixed natural hedge in 6 years ago this autumn including beech, hawthorn and spindle, all about 18" high. We left it to extablish for 2 years, just feeding and weeding regularly. By year 3 it had grown a couple of feet and needed trimming and I tied a few branches together to help it 'knit'. Years 4 and 5 it has grown around a foot or more per year and has a trim end of each autumn. The hedge has now thickened out and is kept around 5' high. Its natural looking and attracts loads of wildlife.
Am now in year 3 for my wildlife hedge (60ft long all seed grown from local trees) and it is jus tnow bulking out. There was an old field hedge there before the house was built so I feel that I am giving something back, I hope!
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Do you mean that you have cut some branches off a beech tree and you want them to grow? I doubt very much if you will have much success. Most garden centres sell bunches of small beech seedlings for people to plant in the autumn or winter to make a hedge. Much easier, more likely to grow and not at all expensive.
Thanks, thought it worth a try but as you say, likely to have more success buying them as hedge seedlings.
Beech whips cost pennies, esp bare root. Beech is unlikely to grow from clippings as they are poor are putting out roots and dry out and die. Wait a few months and buy a hedge - at least you will know they will leaf in Spring.
I'm interested in growing a beech hedge as we hope to cut down a leylandaii
hedge this autumn and replace it with something more friendly. Can anyone
please tell me how quickly a beech hedge will grow per year approximately?
Also would this be better for the bird population (which is quite large around
here) - I'm thinking particularly of the winter months for shelter for them, or
would a laurel hedge be better for that? We always have lots of birds sheltering
in the leylandaii during the winter and also lots of fledglings go into it to hide
from predators in the Spring, so just need a bit of advice for what would be
best please.
@flowersforbees
Hedges sit and do little for the first 2 years as they put down roots. Year three onwards expect them to get thicker and taller by up to 30cm. You will need to improve the soil before planting where Leylandii was as the soil will have no nutrients left
Usually around a foot or so (30cm) once established, but as blairs says, they take a while to get going. The better you prepare the ground first the better they'll grow and Lleylandii sucks everything out so it's worth getting as much nutrition back in theer as possible. My parents had a lovely big beech hedge and it's great for wildlife. I had a hornbeam hedge in a previous garden which is very similar to beech and copes better with wetter sites so that might be another option if your conditions are wet. Both are available in the winter from hedging suppliers as bare root/transplants which is a cheap way of doing it too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We put a mixed natural hedge in 6 years ago this autumn including beech, hawthorn and spindle, all about 18" high. We left it to extablish for 2 years, just feeding and weeding regularly. By year 3 it had grown a couple of feet and needed trimming and I tied a few branches together to help it 'knit'. Years 4 and 5 it has grown around a foot or more per year and has a trim end of each autumn. The hedge has now thickened out and is kept around 5' high. Its natural looking and attracts loads of wildlife.
Am now in year 3 for my wildlife hedge (60ft long all seed grown from local trees) and it is jus tnow bulking out. There was an old field hedge there before the house was built so I feel that I am giving something back, I hope!
Many thanks all of you for advising me on the hedge I plant. My leylandii
have taken at least 10' off the bottom of my garden, so I'm looking forward to
getting that space back and want to be sure I plant the right thing. Generally
my garden seems to be on the dry side (not right now as it's been pouring with
rain here most of today!) Will let you know what I decide on in a few weeks
when I'm ready to plant the new hedge, but will do as advised and put plenty
of nutritian where the leylandii have been before starting to plant.
I'd go for the wild mix with the emphasis on hawthorn
I would avoid laurel, it grows far too wide for a hedge and has a tendency to die back further if you cut it back.
Beech is nice and keeps the brown leaves through the winter.
In the sticks near Peterborough