SALES EVENT

Hedges

A garden will benefit from having at least one length of hedge. It will give privacy and shelter from strong winds.

In a small garden, hedge should be kept to the minimum. A fence covered with ivy, honeysuckle or some other climbing plants may be preferable.

Remember that tall evergreens hedges can block the sun and air to other plants in the garden.

Hedging plants should be chosen on the basis that they will grow quickly, survive close planting, and be hardy and suitable for the soil in the area.

Hedges can be grown from one species of plant or from several. All plants grown in a mixed hedge must be of similar habit.

Flowering shrubs planted close together and minimally pruned can form a hedge, but will take up more space than a regular hedge.

When planting a hedge, dig the strip of ground 3-ft. wide and two spits deep. Add a dressing of yard manure or compost to the bottom.

Plant deciduous hedging in October or November, providing the weather is mild, damp and calm. Do not plant in frosty or cold, dry weather. Planting can de done up until March.

Evergreen hedging should be planted between midSeptember and mid-October, but if this is not possible, then April or early May.

All plants should be well furnished with shoots from the base. Bare, leggy plants are difficult to make bushy.

Any long taproots should be shortened and the tops of evergreens can be cut back. Generally, plants should be 18” high and planted 18” apart in the row. Some varieties may need less or more spacing so check with the garden center when buying the plants.

If a dense hedge is required, two rows 18” apart can be planted, alternating the plants so that they are not opposite each other.

Plants should be put in a little deeper than the soil line and the soil well firmed in around them.

Spring-planted hedging may need to be watered. Put mulch around them when the soil has warmed up to help conserve moisture. Spray lightly in the evenings of hot days.

In the early stages of growth, shoots arising from the base should be stopped when they are 9”-10” long. This ensures that a series of lateral shoots are sent out up the whole height of the hedge and encourages a thick base.

Most hedges should be trimmed twice a year, in early summer and in late summer or early autumn. This leaves it neat and tidy over the winter for growth to start again in the spring.

Keep the hedge at a height that is easy to reach without having to use steps or trestles. A hedge between 5-6’ is ideal.

To keep a base of a hedge leafy, cut into a pyramid shape in spring so that the top is narrower than the base. If a hedge is pruned wider at the top than the bottom, the lower part will be shaded and the foliage will fall off. Allowing the top growth to spread, compounding the problem. The narrow top also makes it easier to trim.

When using a ladder to cut a high hedge, it will be necessary to prevent it from sinking into the foliage. Get a piece of timber approximately 4-ft. in length and nail two short lengths of drainpipe the same width as your ladder, at right angles (making an “H” shape). Place the top edge of your ladder onto the drainpipes. The plank spread the weight across the hedge.

There is a growth retardant that can be purchased and sprayed on the hedge after cutting to slow down the growth for the rest of the season.

If a hedge to too dense, cut it back to the main stems on one side only. Let the hedge recover and produce new growth for a year, then cut back the other side.

If a hedge is too tall, cut back every second shrub to within a few inches of the ground. New shoots should sprout around the severed trunks. Cut back the remaining shrubs the following years.

Tree wounds over 1” in diameter can be dressed with a tree wound dressing available from most garden centers.

To stop this protective dressing from cracking with sun exposure it is important to make sure the wound is dry before applying the dressing to ensure good bonding. Check the coating several times during the first year and re-treat if cracked.

As well as clipping, hedges should be kept free of pests, diseases, and weeds.

Leave a space of 1’-2’ between hedges and the foliage of other plants.