Pleaching – Training trees

Pleaching is the art of training trees to grow in a desired shape and goes back many hundreds of years. Pleaching typically sees hedges on stilts often on a framework with the branches tied together and sometimes naturally grafting. They require regular pruning to maintain their desired shape. The pictures here show a hornbean (Carpinus betulus) having some routine pruning by Faithful Tree Care. This species, and also beech, has the advantage that it will hold onto its coppery leaves until spring.