Japanese hornbeam: when and how to prune

Japanese hornbeam: when to prune it?

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Structural pruning in winter, in February; light shaping in late August.

What else to prune in those months? February · August

Japanese hornbeam: how to prune it?

1. Remove dead, damaged and crossing branches.
2. Cut small branches just outside the branch collar, never flush with the trunk.
3. For a more compact shape, lightly shorten the tips of the new shoots each year.
4. It also tolerates hard formative pruning and can be clipped as a hedge or into a shape.

How much to cut, and how often?

• There are 2 pruning periods a year: February and August. You don’t have to prune in every one.
• Never remove more than about a quarter of the crown at once. Better a little every year.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in August can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Hornbeam
• American hornbeam
• Almond tree
• Apple tree
• Apricot tree
• Beech

Plant profile: Japanese hornbeam · Pruning calendar and basic rules