How and when is it best to cut a long length of beech hedge?
A good option is to use a robust, hand-held petrol hedge-cutter or trimmer, such as a Stihl or Kawasaki, which quickly trims back growth. You need to consider several things when deciding between a hedge cutter or a trimmer. The cutters have a bigger spacing between longer “teeth”, whereas trimmers, primarily used for finer shaping, have shorter teeth but will not tackle chunkier wood. If you wanted to cut something thicker (to just over half an inch), a good choice is the Stihl HS 45 (£270 from F R Jones, 020 8464 4649). The machines have a rotating handle so you can work at different angles. You can buy different blade lengths too, but be warned that these affect the balance of the machine. Ideally, go to a good dealer (such as PGM in Peterborough, 01733 334367, www.pgmltd.com) who will let you test some. It is often recommended to cut beech in mid-summer, and again when it is dormant, but you may get away with a single late-summer chop. How would you deal with a rampant pleached hor
