I have extensive hedging which Father Time has decreed I need to get
someone to cut it for me.
I have just had it extensively cut, now I plan to get it trimmed twice a
year so that it is kept reasonably tidy. The hedges are holly, beech and
hawthorn, with odds and ends mixed in.
When would be the best months to have it cut, to keep it tidy and under
control?

In article ,
says...

I have extensive hedging which Father Time has decreed I need to get
someone to cut it for me.
I have just had it extensively cut, now I plan to get it trimmed twice a
year so that it is kept reasonably tidy. The hedges are holly, beech and
hawthorn, with odds and ends mixed in.
When would be the best months to have it cut, to keep it tidy and under
control?

Autumn /winter, when no birds are nesting in it, and you will get the
longest "neat effect" before it starts growing again.

Janet

On 28/09/14 14:54, Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

I have extensive hedging which Father Time has decreed I need to get
someone to cut it for me.
I have just had it extensively cut, now I plan to get it trimmed twice a
year so that it is kept reasonably tidy. The hedges are holly, beech and
hawthorn, with odds and ends mixed in.
When would be the best months to have it cut, to keep it tidy and under
control?

Autumn /winter, when no birds are nesting in it, and you will get the
longest "neat effect" before it starts growing again.

Janet


I agree. No experience of beech, but I have hawthorn/holly mix.

I can get away with one brutal cut in a year, which autumn is a good
choice as Janet says.

A light trim in early summer can smarten it up alot though.

My cutting schedule is dictated by brown bin capacity combined with a
dry weekend day and me being free at that time. One brown bin holds
about 1/3 of the cuttings of my hedge so I need 3 "ideal" days. In
reality the whole hedge gets 2 cuts a year at best simply because of
these constraints.

If it were not all spikey crap, I'd cut it in one and pile it up - and
my long term plan is to gradually replace the hawthorn with beech and
keep/encourage the holly. I really really hate hawthorn. Bunch of twigs
in winter and horrid stuff to handle (though admittedly not the worse -
damson is truly evil). Others will disagree, but I'm a thorn-o-phobe and
thus have few roses!

In article ,
says...

On 28/09/14 14:54, Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

I have extensive hedging which Father Time has decreed I need to get
someone to cut it for me.
I have just had it extensively cut, now I plan to get it trimmed twice a
year so that it is kept reasonably tidy. The hedges are holly, beech and
hawthorn, with odds and ends mixed in.
When would be the best months to have it cut, to keep it tidy and under
control?

Autumn /winter, when no birds are nesting in it, and you will get the
longest "neat effect" before it starts growing again.

Janet


I agree. No experience of beech, but I have hawthorn/holly mix.

I can get away with one brutal cut in a year, which autumn is a good
choice as Janet says.

A light trim in early summer can smarten it up alot though.

True, but it's nesting season.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforw...ng/planting/he
dges/the_law.aspx

"We recommend that cutting hedges and trees is avoided between March
and August as this is the main breeding season for nesting birds.

Nesting birds

It is an offence under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of
1981 to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird
while it is in use or being built. It will be an intentional act, for
example, if you or your neighbour know there is an active nest in the
hedge and still cut the hedge, damaging or destroying the nest in the
process."

Janet.



Janet

In article , messageboards@j-
towill.co.uk says...

I have extensive hedging which Father Time has decreed I need to get
someone to cut it for me.
I have just had it extensively cut, now I plan to get it trimmed twice a
year so that it is kept reasonably tidy. The hedges are holly, beech and
hawthorn, with odds and ends mixed in.
When would be the best months to have it cut, to keep it tidy and under
control?

I cut my mainly beech hedge in August/September (did it last
week). It is worth noting that if you cur the sides of a beech
hedge back too hard, then although the leaves remain through
the winter the hedge can get very open and see through and let
the wind through!

Farm hedges are not allowed to be cut between 1st March to 31st
July in England. In Wales, and England from next year cutting
can not start until 1st September.

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales