European beech hedges are absolutely hardy
European beech are native to Central Europe and are therefore used to cold winters. They tolerate very low temperatures even over a long period of time.
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You basically don't have to prepare older, well-ingrown red beech hedges for winter.
Fresh planted hedges on the other hand, you should definitely provide a mulch cover in the first few years. Young beech trees need some time to develop enough roots that they can take care of themselves in winter.
Why a mulch blanket makes sense in winter
Mulch blankets have proven to be very effective in winter beech hedges for several reasons: You
- protect against drying out of the soil
- prevent weed emergence
- offer protection to useful gardeners
- supply the soil with new nutrients
To the Mulching all materials that are compostable are suitable. You can put on a mulch blanket made from fall leaves, lawn clippings, garden waste, compost, or straw. Make sure, however, that there are no inflorescences in the material and that all parts
healthy and not from Pests are infested.Never let red beech hedges dry out in winter
European beech hedges do not tolerate complete drought. This can be a problem in winters with little rain or a long-lasting, thick blanket of snow.
If it is dry for a long time, you can water the beech hedge once. Use a frost-free day for watering.
Cut the beech hedges to a point
In snowy areas, European beech hedges often suffer from snow breakage. Due to the weight of the snow, the branches simply break off. The beeches are recovering from this, but in the first few years they are not such a beautiful sight.
Cut red beech hedges therefore always in such a way that they taper to a point at the top. This allows the snow to slide off easily and does not weigh on the branches of the beech hedge.
The last Cut back should be done in August. Trimming the hedge before winter is not advisable.
Tips
European beech hedges lose only a few leaves in autumn. The leaves usually stay hanging until spring. The fallen leaves are a natural fertilizer if they are allowed to remain under the hedge.
