Oriental hornbeam: when and how to prune

Oriental hornbeam: when to prune it?

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Clip a hedge in late August, after the nesting season, and lightly again in February if needed. Prune a free-standing tree in February, before it comes into leaf.

What else to prune in those months? February · August

Oriental hornbeam: how to prune it?

1. Clip a hedge with shears into a slight trapezium: wider at the bottom than at the top.
2. On a tree or shrub, remove dead, broken and crossing branches, just outside the swollen collar at the base of the branch.
3. It regrows well from old wood: a bare or overgrown hedge can be cut back hard in February.
4. Rejuvenate a multi-stemmed shrub by sawing one of the oldest stems off at ground level every few years.

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
• Almond tree
• Apple tree
• Apricot tree
• Beech
• Cherry tree

Plant profile: Oriental hornbeam · Pruning calendar and basic rules