Trimming the Summer House Hornbeam Hedge
Pruning at my farm continues at the long hedge that runs in front of my Summer House and along the road behind my Winter House.
The hornbeam, Carpinus, is deciduous and very fast-growing. In fact, it can grow about four to five feet per year. I always keep a close eye on all the hornbeams, so they can be maintained regularly. It's quite a task to get all of them trimmed properly, but the end result is well worth the effort.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Next on our long list of pruning projects is to prune the hornbeam hedge along the back of the Summer House and the Winter House. This is a European hornbeam hedge, Carpinus betulus. Because it is planted on a gradual slope, it needs to be pruned using a step method.
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- It is quite pretty in this location, but it also serves as a good privacy barrier from the road. The top and upper sides of a hedge are exposed to lots of light, so they grow more vigorously.
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- From this angle it is easy to see all the growth from the past year. We trim these hornbeams annually. If left unpruned, hedges start to look tatty and lose their desired shape.
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- These round hornbeams in front of my Summer House entrance also need trimming.
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- The European hornbeam is related to the beech tree, with a similar leaf shape; however, on the hornbeam, the leaves are actually smaller and more deeply furrowed. They become golden yellow to orange before falling in autumn.
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- As with all the hornbeams, the crew does most of the pruning by hand. It takes longer, but it looks much better in the end. These are Okatsune 30-inch long Hedge Shears. Okatsune shears are light and precise and come in a range of sizes.
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- Pasang does all he can from the ground first and works his way up.
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- I prefer the straight edge finish that is done when using Japanese shears. An important tip is to use the sharpest tools possible to avoid unnecessary damage and stress to the hedge. Their large leaves can turn brown if not cut properly.
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- Here, the front of the hedge is trimmed – it’s looking better already. Carpinus betulus is a hornbeam native to Western Asia and central, eastern and southern Europe, including southern England. Because of its dense foliage and tolerance to being cut back, this hornbeam is popularly used for hedges and topiaries.
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- Here is a view looking up. One can see what has been trimmed and what there is still left to do. Hornbeams do best in rich, moist, well-drained soils. All this growth shows how healthy the soil is at the farm.
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- For the top of the hedge section, Chhiring and Pasang use our STIHL HLA 85 battery powered extended hedge trimmer. It’s light, easy to maneuver and cuts extremely well.
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- The blades of this STIHL HL85 also have double-sided cutting blades that cut in both directions.
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- In this image, one can see the top going down the length of cut hornbeam – it is very level.
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- And looking down, here are all the clippings ready to be raked and taken to the compost pile.
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- This is the back of the hedge – also completely pruned.
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- And here is the finished front of the hedge – all neat and tidy. Deer do eat hornbeams, but since the property is completely fenced, it isn’t a problem here at Cantitoe.
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- The hedge looks great from all sides. It is important to keep up with the care and maintenance of all plantings. Proper pruning can remove any portions that have disease, fungi, and other types of decay. It also exposes the inner foliage to more sunlight and air circulation, which helps to reduce the chance of disease.
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- The hornbeams opposite the long hedge were also pruned and groomed. Here is one finished side facing my Winter House courtyard.
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- After the entire task is done, Chhiring and Pasang rake all the fallen leaves and branches. Chhiring uses a soft rake to carefully remove debris that has fallen into the pachysandra in front of the round hornbeams.
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- Here, Pasang carries a load to the cage of the Hi-Lo.
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- One of our favorite tools here at the farm is our STIHL backpack blower. We’ve been using STIHL’s blowers for years. These blowers are powerful and fuel-efficient. The gasoline-powered engines provide enough rugged power to tackle heavy debris while delivering much lower emissions.
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- And here is the front of my Summer House. It is always so nice to see these great hornbeams trimmed and sculpted. Next, it’s time for a big drink. We’ve had a week without any rain. I hope some rain comes soon, but in the meantime, our professional adjustable circular tripod sprinkler from Gilmour does an excellent job.
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