Table of Contents
How do you prepare the ground for a hedge?
Soil preparation Prepare the ground by digging over a strip 60-90cm (2-3ft) wide and one spit (or spade blade) deep. If a herbicide (weedkiller) has not been used beforehand, remove all weeds. Soils that become waterlogged in winter may require a permanent drainage system.
How far apart do you plant a hedge?
Hedge plants should be about 18″ (45cm) apart with the recommended number of plants about 5-7 per metre if bare root, or 4-5 if container grown.
When should hedging be planted?
September is the beginning of what we feel is the very best month for planting – autumn is really the ideal season for planting all shrubs and especially mature trees and it is definitely the best time to plant hedges.
How do you start a hedge?
How to Grow a Thick Hedge Fast, in Brief: Choose the right location for the hedge. Determine what height of fence you want. Choose the right fencing plants. Determine its width. Determine the right spacing for the plants. Survey the planting area ready to install the fence. Plant the shrubs or trees.
How deep should soil be for hedges?
To prepare the soil for hedges, dig a trench at least 45cm (18in) wide and 30cm (1ft) deep along the length of the proposed hedge infilling with improved soil as necessary. For individual trees or shrubs clear a circle approximately 1 metre / 1 yard diameter of grass and weeds.
What soil is best for hedges?
Good soil preparation will assist all plants. Break up any hard clay or compacted soil to allow plant roots to penetrate. Add lots of organic matter in the form of compost, particularly if your soils are depleted, heavy clay or sandy.
How do I make my hedges thicker?
To thicken this hedge up, I’d just pull some branches from different plants down and zip tie them together. That stimulates vertical growth in the now empty spaces. The picture to the right shows the common problem. The easy solution is to bend some branches, to weave the plants together.
How many hedging plants do I need?
In general, 3 plants per metre is the ideal spacing: this will give you a thick hedge quickly. If you planted any closer together, you wouldn’t really get any benefit and the plants would compete with their neighbours too much.
How often should I water a new hedge?
New hedges need to be kept well-watered if the weather is dry, especially evergreen rootball plants and larger potted hedging. As a guide, a new hedge will need at least 5-10 litres per metre of hedge, twice a week but larger rootball plants will need substantially more.
Can you plant hedge in April?
Plant deciduous hedges from January to March, and evergreen hedges in March or April. Water or soak each plant well at least an hour before planting. If you buy bare-root plants, soak immediately for an hour, then heel into spare ground until planting. Never leave bare roots exposed for more than a minute or so.
What do you put under hedges?
Compost (garden or spent mushroom), leaf mould, well-rotted manure, wood or bark chippings or even seaweed all make excellent mulches for use not only under hedges but across the garden.
What is the fastest growing hedging?
Cupressocyparis leylandii Leylandii is a fast-growing hedge plant that has the quickest growth rate of approximately 75-90cm per year.
How long does it take to grow hedges?
Training your shrubs as a hedge Generally this takes 1-2 seasons after planting. To train as a hedge, trim top and sides a few times per year as necessary, removing about one-half the length of new shoots.
Is compost good for hedges?
Build in plenty of good-quality compost or organic matter such as well-rotted garden compost, manure, mushroom compost or composted bark. By doing this preparation 4-6 weeks in advance, the soil will be allowed to settle and will still be workable when you come to plant your hedge.
How do you protect a newly planted hedge?
Protecting Hedge Plants Put up guards after planting hold spirals up with a cane and guards with a stake. Drive stakes in before you plant hedgerow trees to avoid damaging the roots and then plant as usual and put the guard over the tree and attach it to the stake.
How do you fertilize a hedge?
Fertilize fall-planted hedges in spring, and wait six to eight weeks before fertilizing spring-planted hedges. As a general guideline, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of a 16-4-8 fertilizer or similar high-nitrogen product around the edges of each planting hole, or apply the product according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Does trimming a hedge make it grow thicker?
Trimming the remaining new shoots will encourage lateral branching, increasing the thickness. Remove one-half of the remaining older stems, one year after the first pruning.
How do you bring a hedge back to life?
By pruning out dead or diseased growth, regular watering and feeding and with a thick layer of mulch and compost, it is possible to nurture your hedge plants back to good health.
What is the best evergreen hedging?
Discover some of the best evergreen hedging plants to grow. Portuguese laurel. Hedge germander. Griselinia. Box. Holly. Holm oak. Yew. Pittosporum.
How far apart do I plant laurel hedging?
We recommend planting Leylandii, Laurel and most other evergreen shrubs* between 60cm and 100cm apart (approximately 2-3 feet apart). Hedges with plants 60cm apart “fill in” quicker than those planted 100cm apart but you get just as good a hedge in the long run at either distance apart.
Can you grow a hedge against a wall?
How far from a wall or fence can I plant them? For Mixed/Traditional hedging 45cm – 60cm (18-24 inches) is adequate. If your planning to grow a tall hedge then slightly more space will be required.
