When is the Best Time to Prune a Hornbeam Tree?
Late summer to early winter
When is the best time to prune a hornbeam tree? Why is hornbeam tree pruning important? And how do you identify common hornbeam tree diseases? All is revealed…
The hornbeam tree, or carpinus betulus, is native to the south of England, although it is prevalent across the UK. It’s a deciduous broadleaf tree that is often confused with the beech. The name hornbeam comes from ‘horn’ meaning hard, and ‘beam’ which is the original English name for a tree. Hornbeam timber is known for its hardness and is commonly used for making musical instruments, butchers’ chopping boards, tool handles and flooring.
If you have a mature hornbeam tree on your land, you may well see it grow to heights of up to 30 metres and it is known to live for over 300 years, particularly if it is regularly pollarded or coppiced.
Why prune a hornbeam tree?
The hornbeam tree doesn’t need much in the way of pruning other than some light attention from time to time. As long as you remove diseased branches and dead wood regularly and get rid of crossing or congested shoots so that airflow is increased, this is a tree that can usually take care of itself.
When a hornbeam tree is coppiced or pollarded its lifespan will increase, and it will tend to grow taller.
If you have a hornbeam hedge then you’ll need to prune it regularly so that its shape is maintained and it keeps a tidy appearance.
When is the best time for hornbeam tree pruning?
Any non-emergency hornbeam tree pruning should be undertaken between late summer and early autumn. This will avoid bleeding sap which can cause diseases.
The hornbeam tree goes through two growth spurts each year. One of these is during the spring, and the other in the summer. If you trim back your hornbeam hedge after each growth spurt then this will really help you keep it looking neat and tidy. The summer cut should be done in September, ahead of the leaves changing colour and dropping.
What to look for when pruning a hornbeam tree
Always be careful when pruning a deciduous hedge, as the leaves are prone to turning brown if you are too rough.
There are two main issues to look out for when pruning your hornbeam tree. One is a white, dusty coating on the flowers, leaves and stems. This is powdery mildew. The other is branch dieback followed by small, coral-pink fungal pustules, which is a disease known as coral spot.
If in doubt, or you have any concerns over the health of your hornbeam tree, always consult a qualified tree surgeon. They will know straight away whether your tree is suffering from any of the diseases typical to this type of tree, and will be able to prescribe the appropriate treatments in order to give the tree the best chance possible of maintaining good health.
Tree Preservation Orders
It is a breach of regulations to undertake any type of tree work – including pruning, pollarding, coppicing, cutting back or dead-wooding – if there is a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) in place. Always check before you proceed with any work, and if there is an Order in place then you must seek permission from the local authority before going ahead and bear in mind that there could be up to an eight week wait for this to be provided. Also be aware that if the tree is situated in a conservation area, permission must be obtained before undertaking works of any kind.
The importance of hornbeam tree pruning expertise
The best chance your hornbeam tree will ever have of thriving and enjoying a healthy life will always be regular attention from a qualified tree surgeon.
When choosing a tree surgeon, make sure for your ultimate reassurance that you select one who can show you checkable references plus certificates that prove their qualifications. Also ask to see insurance documents so you can be sure you are covered for the work being carried out. Furthermore, if possible, try to engage a tree surgeon who is Trading Standards and local authority approved for even more peace of mind plus a guarantee of value for money.
If you have a hornbeam tree that needs pruning or trimming, why not contact T.H. Tree Services? As fully qualified and highly experienced Trading Standards and local authority approved tree surgeons, we can provide you with specialist expertise across all elements of hornbeam tree pruning. For a free, no-obligation quotation, contact our helpful experts on 01268 642814 or get in touch here.
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