For various reasons, a beech hedge is keeping this year's growth under wraps. Instead of desperately waiting for your red beech or hornbeam hedge to sprout, you can take action. Read here about common causes of growth depression with tips for effective countermeasures.
Why doesn't my beech hedge sprout and what can I do?
If a beech hedge does not sprout, the causes can be drought stress, waterlogging, lack of nutrients or cold. Depending on the cause, the soil should be loosened, fertilized, watered or frozen shoots should be cut back to activate sprouting.
Why isn't my beech hedge sprouting?
If your beech hedge does not sprout in spring, the most common causes aredrought stress,waterlogging,nutrient deficiencyor too cold weather. These indicators provide insightful information about the actual causes when copper beech or hornbeam hedges do not sprout:
- Drought stress: no rain for weeks between March and May, bone-dry garden soil.
- Waterlogging: continuous rain or heavy melting snow in spring, standing water under the beech hedge.
- Nutrient deficiency: dried leaves are not shed, no bud formation is visible, sleeping eyes do not swell.
- Cold: strong, frequent night frost between the beginning of April and mid/end of May.
What should you do if a beech hedge doesn't sprout?
It's best toloose upthe soil andfertilize with compost if your red beech or hornbeam hedge doesn't sprout. You can then activate the budding with the following measures:
- Cause of drought stress: Water the beech hedge thoroughly repeatedly in the early morning or after sunset.
- Cause of waterlogging: Spread a 5 cm high layer of sand under the hedge plants and work it into the soil.
- Cause of nutrient deficiency: Fertilize with nitrogen-rich nettle manure or a fast-acting liquid fertilizer for deciduous trees.
- Cause cold: Cut frozen shoots back into he althy wood; Repeat pruning at the end of June.
Tip
Pruning activates the growth of young beech hedges
Did you know that beech hedges sprout vigorously after a plant cut? Immediately after planting, cut back all unbranched shoots by a third. For the perfect cutting technique, place the scissor blades a few millimeters above a bud, a leaf or a sleeping eye. This pruning creates a sap build-up in the shoot, which activates strong budding.
