If the beech hedge turns brown in autumn, it is a natural process. Beech trees are summer green and shed their dried leaves in autumn or spring. If the hedge gets brown leaves earlier, diseases, pests or a bad location could be the cause.
Why does the beech hedge turn brown and what can you do?
If a beech hedge turns brown, this can be due to natural leaf fall in autumn, diseases, pests or poor site conditions. Countermeasures include site selection, watering, fungicide or insecticide treatments, and regular pruning.
Plant beech hedges in a good location
In contrast to hornbeams, common beeches are tricky when it comes to location. They only thrive when the space meets the following requirements:
- Sunny to partially shaded location
- not too acidic soil
- Soil must always be slightly moist
- Waterlogging must never occur
If the beech hedge turns brown prematurely, the soil may be too dry or too moist. When it is dry, you should water freshly planted beech hedges regularly. In a generally very dry, sandy location, it is sometimes better to create a hornbeam hedge.
Diseases turn the leaves brown
Diseases cause brown leaves on the beech hedge. In addition to powdery mildew, which covers the leaves with a white layer, leaf spot fungus occasionally occurs.
It is noticeable through brown leaves and must be controlled with a fungicide.
Brown leaves due to pest infestation
Brown leaves are also caused by pests:
- hornbeam spider mite
- Whitefly
- Beech mealybug
A sign of a pest infestation is the curling, drying and falling of the leaves.
Infected plant parts must be generously removed and disposed of with household waste. Treatment is carried out using appropriate insecticides.
Beech hedge turns brown after winter
This usually only affects a few branches whose leaves turn brown. Snow breakage is often to blame for this. The snow load was too high and snapped the branches. Just cut out these branches.
In older beech hedges, the leaves turning brown and individual branches dying are completely normal. Such damage can be limited by regular pruning and occasional rejuvenation.
Beech hedge has brown leaves in winter
In this case, you have probably planted a type of beech whose leaves remain on the tree over the winter and are only shed when new growth occurs.
Tip
The beautiful autumn color of copper and copper beeches is one reason for their popularity as a hedge plant. The leaves turn a bright orange-red, which is particularly intense in the first weeks of November.
