Planting a New Hedge

Question:

I have just removed an 8 meter long 2 + metre high leylandii and the stumps have been ground out. I want to plant an evergreen hedge as quick growing as possible, please can you advise a variety that might be suitable, and does the earth need feeding in preparation. The position is west facing.

Answer:

That sounds like a big job, but it will be worth it in the long run

One of the best true evergreen hedges is often though to be old fashioned but the Privet is fast growing and can tolerate poor soil so on-going soil enrichment isn’t as vital. New plants should be cut back hard after planting then it is just a matter of pruning to shape and to thicken until it reaches the required height, then prune twice a year to maintain.

Laurel (Prunus) also makes a good hedge (choose P. laurocerasus or P. lusitanica) but it does need plenty of room and should, ideally, be pruned with secateurs rather than shears to avoid cutting the large leaves.

Yew (Taxus baccata) makes a thick, dense hedge which can look beautiful if maintained regularly. Unfortunately it is very slow growing so may not be suitable.

There are lots of plants suitable for hedging so I have attached a link to Crocus.co.uk which shows a good variety of plants for you to look through. This will give you more information on each plant, a picture, care instructions and also tells you how large they grow so you can work out how many plants you will need. I trust it will be of use.

As for preparation, here are some pointers:

• Choose healthy plants either bare rooted or container grown, at this time of year and through to the end of spring, bare rooted plants will be best and they are a lot cheaper than pot grown.
• I assume since you have removed all the roots and stumps of the Leylandii that there is an empty trench. If so fill with top soil mixed with a good amount of well rotted farmyard manure which will add bulk and help drainage. This should be all you will need to do with the hedge for many years.
• When you get the plants home stand them in buckets of water until you are ready to plant them out, it is important that the roots don’t dry out.
• The plants will need some support until they get established so it is worth while erecting the support before you start planting. Stretch a thick wire down the length of the row, the plants will be attached to the wire. Alternatively use individual stakes for each plant.
• You have two ways of planting, single or double row. A staggered, double row will result in a thicker hedge more quickly.
• Plant at regular intervals in holes big enough not to constrict the roots, making sure that they are planted at the level of the old soil mark. Sprinkle a handful of bone meal into each planting hole. Push the soil gently around the roots using your fingers to ensure there are no air pockets below the roots, gradually fill the hole firming as you go.
• Water in very well and apply a mulch of well rotted farmyard manure to help retain moisture and keep down weeds.
• If the weather is dry you should water every day that you don’t get rain.
• Prune immediately after planting, check the label for details, but as a rule they should be reduced by half their height. There is no need to prune again during their first year.
• In the second year clip lightly about four times between May and August. This may seem that it is taking growth off the hedge and therefore it will take longer to grow, but this trimming is important to help thicken the plants and build a nice shape. You should be aiming to have the top narrower than the bottom, if the bottom is narrower it will be in too much shade and will eventually loose it’s leaves.
• Once the hedge has reached the height you want trim anytime between May and August to keep it tidy and maintain the shape. Try to leave some new growth each time you trim to avoid bare spots.

Once you decide on the plant you want, let me know what you have chosen and I’ll double check the exact pruning regime.

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