Beech hedges are not only very popular because of their easy pruning ability and decorative autumn colors. The privacy protection in the garden is also maintained over the winter if you select certain varieties to plant a beech hedge.
How do I care for a beech hedge in winter?
Beech hedges are hardy and offer privacy even in winter thanks to suitable varieties such as copper beech or copper beech. In winter, the beech hedge should be trimmed, watered on frost-free days and the ground covered with mulch to prevent drying out and compaction.
Not all beech varieties lose their leaves in autumn
Beech trees are summer green trees. In autumn, many species lose their leaves, so that the beech hedge is no longer opaque.
By selecting special varieties, the privacy protection is maintained. The leaves that have already withered often remain on the tree until new growth occurs in spring.
There are also copper beeches and copper beeches that only shed their leaves in spring. They are particularly suitable for opaque hedges in the garden. They also provide some color in the gray season.
Beech trees are hardy and do not need winter protection
Beech trees are absolutely hardy. Even temperatures down to minus 30 degrees don't bother them - at least not if they're well established.
Light winter protection may be advisable for freshly planted beech hedges. Above all, it prevents the soil from drying out and the young tree roots from being unable to draw water.
A layer of mulch in winter prevents soil compaction
Even if a beech hedge is hardy, it is worth covering the ground area with a layer of mulch in autumn. Organic materials such as: are suitable
- Leaves
- Lawn cutting
- Bark mulch
- Peat
- Straw
The mulch cover not only prevents the soil from drying out, it also keeps it nice and loose so that waterlogging does not form. Common beeches cannot tolerate compacted and too moist soils at all.
The mulching material decomposes over time and releases nutrients that serve as a natural fertilizer for the beech hedge.
Cutting beech hedges in winter
Winter is the best time to trim a beech hedge. Ideally, a day should be chosen until the beginning of March that is neither too wet nor too cold. You should never cut a beech hedge at temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius.
Tip
In very dry winters, water the beech hedge occasionally on frost-free days. Beech trees do not benefit from soil that is too dry, nor from a location that is too wet.