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 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 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.
Can I plant a hedge myself?
Plant your shrubs For hedges, it is best to dig a straight trench when planting bare root shrubs. For containerized plants, individual holes work best. However, either method can be used. Follow our handy tree planting videos to learn how to plant your tree or shrub privacy hedge.
Can you plant hedges in spring?
Spring is the perfect time to take stock of your hedges and see what condition they are in or to look to plant a new hedge. As the leaves and blossoms emerge, you can get a better picture of where you have gaps in your hedge than in the winter time.
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.
How do you thicken a hedge?
Trimming a hedge in a wedge shape that is wider at the bottom will make it grow thicker by enabling more even regrowth. Cut back the hedge at the top to steer growth to the sides of your bushes and use organic fertiliser to encourage the plant’s development.
Can I plant a 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.
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.
How many hedge 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.
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 hedge for privacy?
The Leylandii is a conifer that’s the fastest-growing, evergreen hedge and will create one quickly. If it is pruned every year, Leylandii will create a formal dark-green evergreen screen or box-shaped hedge, similar to a Yew hedge.
What is the best time of year to plant hedges?
Ideally, you can plant evergreen hedges between late autumn and late winter. These hedges can be planted from mid of autumn till the end of winter. The dried ground is preferable to plant a deciduous hedge; hence, if you find the soil to be heavy with frozen solid, then it’s better to wait until the ground dries.
Do hedges need compost?
As well as eliminating compaction and improving drainage, this will ensure your hedging plants are able to root out freely through and across the loosened surrounding soil profile. Build in plenty of good-quality compost or organic matter such as well-rotted garden compost, manure, mushroom compost or composted bark.
When should I cut my newly planted hedge?
New hedges require formative pruning for their first couple of years after planting. Formative pruning is usually carried out in winter or early spring. After this, maintenance trimming is carried out, usually once a year for informal hedges and twice a year for formal hedges.
What is the best compost for hedging?
As a rough guide, 30cm apart will result in a closely-planted hedge. It’s a good idea to put some well-rotted manure , manure compost or mushroom compost at the bottom of the hole (click here to see our range). You want to bury the root ball about 2.5cm below the level of the top of the soil, then firm down the soil.
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 look after hedges?
5 Things You Need To Know About Hedge Care Find The Right Shape. Before you get cracking with the hedge work you should always plan ahead. Cutting Back. Formal hedges will need a lot more work than an informal hedge. Prevent Weeds From Encroaching On Your Plants. Water Well. Check For Nesting Animals.
How do you revive a dying hedge?
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. And that is a wonderful thing to achieve.
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 do you dig a trench for hedges?
Dig about 100mm deeper and 200mm wider than you need to fit your plants in your holes or trench. Back fill your holes or trench to a slightly higher level than you need to allow the plants to settle. Line up three or four plants at a time.
Can I grow a hedge against a fence?
No one would intentionally plant a hedge too close to a fence. But it happens by accident all the time. When a fence and a hedge are too close, some difficult issues can arise. First, as the plant continues to grow, it will begin to engulf the fence.
Can I plant a hedge on my boundary?
You do not usually need to obtain permission to plant a hedge in your garden if it is solely within your property’s boundary. Provided there are no Boundary Disputes, and if both parties agree to the hedge, you will usually both be responsible for the maintenance of the hedge on your own sides.
