Tips for Hedge trimming

[bolthole]

I listened to a gardening programme some months ago and the expert was asked about odd trees dying in a Leylandii hedge. His advice was that unless you left the width and height both to a minimum of 7 feet Leylandii will die back.

 

Any truth in that?

 

Was it gardeners question time?

 

I used to love this programme but now, even after only doing Level 2 Arb, it makes me laugh out loud with some of the obviously duff and made-up on the spot advice.

 

Last year, one of them was still banging on about using Arbex and last week they were seriously discussing pollarding a Birch.

 

Anyway... ahem... (climbs down off soap box) my Dad's Leylandii hedge has been six foot tall and 18 inches thick for the last 20 years and it's fine. Perhaps he's just been lucky...

[skyhuck]

Was it gardeners question time?

 

I used to love this programme but now, even after only doing Level 2 Arb, it makes me laugh out loud with some of the obviously duff and made-up on the spot advice.

 

Last year, one of them was still banging on about using Arbex and last week they were seriously discussing pollarding a Birch.

 

Anyway... ahem... (climbs down off soap box) my Dad's Leylandii hedge has been six foot tall and 18 inches thick for the last 20 years and it's fine. Perhaps he's just been lucky...

 

Whats wrong with pollarding a Birch???

[Mortimer Firewood]

Whats wrong with pollarding a Birch???

 

It looks crap most of the ones I've seen die if I'm asked to pollard reduce a birch I try and get them to have it out.

[skyhuck]

It looks crap most of the ones I've seen die if I'm asked to pollard reduce a birch I try and get them to have it out.

 

I've done plenty, don't look much crapper than most pollards, IMO.

[bolthole]

Whats wrong with pollarding a Birch???

 

Well... during the discussion the idea of Pollarding it was thrown in by the questioner... I think what she meant was pruning it, or just cutting the top off it. The tree was 15 or 30 years old (can't remember) and was growing in a dustbin and had had the roots trimmed - like a giant bonsai.

 

Nobody on the panel jumped in and pointed out that pollards need to be established when the tree is young(ish), all the stuff about limiting the size of wounds, etc, etc... it was just thrown in the mix and nobody urged caution.

 

I was under the impression that Birches don't recover well from wounding... and therefore wouldn't be ideal candidates for 'pollarding'/having the top cut off... the timber rots pretty easily... is this not right?

[treesrus]

Whats wrong with pollarding a Birch???

 

most commonly pollarded trees are lime and plane, primarily because they put out fresh epicormic growth readily, and after many years of pollarding have that desirable appearance often seen in city/town avenues. the original reason for pollarding was to get young straight lengths used for fencing, wattle, etc. same as coppicing, but in areas where grazing animals can't reach. so pollarding birch really means topping, which i am often asked to do because "it's a bit tall, isn't it?". and my answer is "no, madam, it's as tall as it's meant to be and perfectly safe" A birch is, if left alone, a tall, slender tree that lends itself to town/city gardens as it's crown is relatively lightweight, and is a handsome tree. it is also a mistaken idea that topping a tree allows more light, as regrowth leads to a denser crown, whereas a crown lift actually does allow more light under a tree, ( the sun is rarely directly overhead)

and it is also correct that birch wood rots quickly, although the live wood is very tough.

[skyhuck]

most commonly pollarded trees are lime and plane, primarily because they put out fresh epicormic growth readily, and after many years of pollarding have that desirable appearance often seen in city/town avenues. the original reason for pollarding was to get young straight lengths used for fencing, wattle, etc. same as coppicing, but in areas where grazing animals can't reach. so pollarding birch really means topping, which i am often asked to do because "it's a bit tall, isn't it?". and my answer is "no, madam, it's as tall as it's meant to be and perfectly safe" A birch is, if left alone, a tall, slender tree that lends itself to town/city gardens as it's crown is relatively lightweight, and is a handsome tree. it is also a mistaken idea that topping a tree allows more light, as regrowth leads to a denser crown, whereas a crown lift actually does allow more light under a tree, ( the sun is rarely directly overhead)

and it is also correct that birch wood rots quickly, although the live wood is very tough.

 

I am aware of all this, just don't see why Birch should have been singled out as one not to pollard???

 

Lime has to be one of, if not the fastest rotting timber.

 

Most trees will decay to some extent and will have weak attachment of the new growth, this is why pollards must be maintained.

[treesrus]

birch isn't the only tree that shouldn't be pollarded, (cherry, laburnum, walnut, most conifers), but it seems to be the most commonly butchered urban tree. pollarding works best with trees that throw out epicormic best, lime, plane, chestnut are the best examples, it can be done with ash, sycamore, willow and others, but when not done for the use of the resulting regrowth, then it is done for aesthetic reasons, and here is the point, silver birch are tall elegant trees, but when pollarded, they tend to be less attractive. add to this the fact that taller trees cast less of a shadow than topped trees do.

[Goaty]

A birch I looked at recently

[Mortimer Firewood]

A birch I looked at recently [ATTACH]185334[/ATTACH]

 

Yep that's been my finding leave alone or have it out anything elsa IMO is unsuitable