How To Hedge
by Pippa Greenwood
There is nothing better than a living boundary around or within your garden - bricks and fencing are all very well, but as far as lifting your spirits and keeping wildlife happy, it is difficult to beat a hedge. Hedges can take on many guises – they can look smart or informal, be neat and compact or thicker and sturdier, evergreen or deciduous and, if you want you can even include some hedging with pretty flowers. The options are many, the potential is huge - and now is an ideal time to plant a new hedge.
First, prepare the area in the same way you would for any other long-term planting: fork the soil over thoroughly, removing large stones, debris and pernicious weeds. This will eliminate anything that might make establishment tricky or subsequently reduce hedge growth. This preparation also helps to break up any compaction and to aerate the soil, making it a better place for plant roots. If the soil is either very sandy and light or very heavy with clay, then fork in well-rotted garden compost, manure or proprietary compost, as this will help to improve the soil’s texture and its ability to hold moisture and nutrients to just the right extent. At
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the same time incorporate a complete fertilizer. A young hedge will not create a perfect barrier for the first few years, so if you anticipate problems with next door’s pets or children breaking through you may initially need to use a less attractive barrier such as galvanized stock fencing. Don’t be tempted to plant right up against an existing fence, as the plants simply won’t grow well.
At this time of year, when hedging plants grow very little or not at all, you can create a hedge very effectively using ‘bare-root’ plants, but if you want to plant a hedge at any other time you will need container-grown plants. Small pot-grown conifers, for instance, will have well-established roots and should thrive. If using pot-grown plants, carefully remove each plant from its pot just before planting, having watered them thoroughly first if the compost is dry. The roots should not be too tightly packed in the pot, but if they are, tease them out firmly before planting. If you’re using bare-root plants, make sure that you’re ready to plant them as soon as they are delivered and that the soil is also ready and waiting.
It is essential to space the plants correctly to achieve the desired
effect, and to make sure that you plant them properly if they are to get off to a good start and establish well. Once out of the pot, position the plant in the prepared soil, making sure that it is at the same depth as it was in the pot. If you’re using bare- root plants then make sure that only the roots are beneath the soil. If planted too deeply the plants will suffer and may even die; if planted too shallowly they will be more prone to drying out. Firm the soil around each so that it is in good contact with the roots.
Hedging plants generally need a spacing of about 30-45cm. For a much thicker or denser hedge it is often worth planting them 45cm apart, but using two parallel rows of plants, positioned so that the planting is staggered like bricks in a wall. Once the whole hedge is planted, water the soil thoroughly to help settle the soil around the roots and so allow the plants to establish. On windy sites or with larger plants it may be worth using small, temporary stakes such as bamboo canes to stabilise the plants. For the hedge to grow well, it is essential that you keep it well watered, especially during dry or windy weather. The first 18 months is the most vital period.
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