KEEP BEECH AND HORNBEAM TRIM

To keep beech or hornbeam crisp and sharp-edged, give them a spruce up this month to shape them before the growing season ahead. To get the ‘show garden’ straight edges, trim lightly and regularly, taking care between March and August to use only hand shears and be aware of any bird nests. A good cut in September works well, followed by a winter shaping now, along with a prune out of odd branches as you can see them better. When trimming, taper the sides a little so the base is wider than the top – this keeps growth dense at the bottom of the hedge as well as the top.