Beech Hedge | A beautiful British native deciduous hedge

Soils

Beech will grow on all soil types so long as they are well-draining and not dry. Avoid heavy clay.

Location

Sensitive to heat, beech does well in shade. Beech suffers during droughts and does not fare well in wet ground

Annual Growth Rate

Beech is a moderate to fairly fast grower at 50-60cm annually

pH TOLERANCE

Prefers alkaline but will tolerate slightly acidic soil. Avoid planting into wet or dry ground.

Root Structure

Beech has a shallow, strong and dense, widely spreading root system. It is very sensitive to disturbance or compaction of any kind.

Potential

Beech excels in calcareous soils and can be situated in full sun or part-shade, the leaves remain on the hedge throughout winter.

Annual Trimming

Always make a final trim of beech hedges in September which will maximise the dry-leaf retention during the winter months.

Characteristics

Beech should be trimmed at a slight angle, wider at the bottom to allow light to shine onto the lower branches.

During the autumn, beech hedges can easily be identified by their brown coloured, dried out leaves which remain on the branches until the new leaves bud out in the spring and push the old ones off.

Other deciduous hedges drop their leaves in the autumn, becoming loose, open and see-through during the winter months.

A beech hedge uniquely holds onto its brown leaves, providing screening and privacy all through the winter months. Just like an evergreen hedge does. The new leaves of the beech hedge appear in April. They are shiny green and smooth with wavy margins.

Tip: Both, common green and copper beech hedges are horse friendly and can therefore be safely used in paddocks for the containment of livestock