Yew hedge, bit late to cut ??

[miker]

Have got behind this year, would it hurt to cut a large,well established yew hedge, approx 25 years old, now, would frost do any damage etc

Any thoughts

Cheers

 

Mike

 

[Excels1or]

Don't think you'll do any harm. Ideal time is summer months.....repairs whilst still growing etc. But some folk cut during the winter where it repairs in the spring. Yews pretty hardy

[Sviatoslav Tulin]

Never had problems with cutting yew hedges at winter.

[Trailoftears]

Like yourself I'm equally behind with my conifer hedge-cutting season due to one of the wettest periods I've endured for some years.Re:Leylandii hedges, I'm at the point of advising customers to let me do them in the Spring pre- nesting season.As thuggish as they are,a late cut can backfire due to scorching easterlies etc.Yew is a tough old subject tho.The only damage I've experienced doing them was in an extremely hot summer period when I observed some scorching after taking the top cover off.I'd evaluate the prevailing winds/local climate/exposure of the particular jobsite.Given their relatively slow rate of growth,it may be better to wait until close as you can get to the 1st of March to avoid any 'blame'.Then again,Mid Feb can well be pretty ugly in certain seasons/localities 🤔

[Stere]

Yew can do well   over a 1ft in a yr so not that slow.....imo

 

 

Edited November 24, 2023 by Stere

[Trailoftears]

Like yourself I'm equally behind with my conifer hedge-cutting season due to one of the wettest periods I've endured for some years.Re:Leylandii hedges, I'm at the point of advising customers to let me do them in the Spring pre- nesting season.As thuggish as they are,a late cut can backfire due to scorching easterlies etc.Yew is a tough old subject tho.The only damage I've experienced doing them was in an extremely hot summer period when I observed some scorching after taking the top cover off.I'd evaluate the prevailing winds/local climate/exposure of the particular jobsite.Given their relatively slow rate of growth,it may be better to wait until close as you can get to the 1st of March to avoid any 'blame'.Then again,Mid Feb can well be pretty ugly in certain seasons/localities 🤔

[Trailoftears]

The term 'slow' is somewhat inexact in truth.Here in mid Wales which is yukky and mild historically,but far,far drier in late spring/early Summer than I'm used to these days-Yew hedges will do 6" odd,beech maybe 12" over a season,box praps 3",and I would guestimate leylandii has dropped away from  6" on the sides to more like 4" max really.I'm finding years of hedge-cutting experience now needs re-learning locally.Also trying to respect the non-cutting of hedges from 1st Mar until the end of July is somewhat different too.I'm finding privets in particular dont hugely enjoy this new regime.Instead of 1 biggish cut during late June/a lighter cut late Sept.Now they get a massive cut early Aug.This I suspect doesn't suit them.Its akin to cutting your lawn at 4" long down to 0.5" its stressy and something of a shock I suspect,but time will tell.