How to plant a hedge
Hedges are best planted over the winter months, when plants are available ‘bare-root’. At this time of year the plants are dormant, so it is both the least costly and horticulturally best time of year to do this job. Once you have decided where your hedge is going to go, the most important job is to choose the best species. This isn’t just about whether you want evergreen or not, or whether you want a hedge with berries, it is about choosing a species that will thrive in the location. To find this out you need to assess the soil conditions - pH, texture and moisture level; light conditions - full shade, half light or full sun; and degree of exposure to the elements - is it a particularly windy location. A garden designer, landscape gardener or horticultural consultant could help you selecting the right species if need be.
Other considerations that need to be made are how high and wide you ultimately want the hedge to be, and remember that if you want a high hedge then it is also going to be wide. Hedges such as Laurel hedges and Leylandii hedges need a lot of space, and are usually not the best choice, though they can be tempting for those wanting a quick screen. Dealing with out-of-control hedges is the bane of many a garden designer and landscape gardener, and they can be very costly to remove once they have got going.
Once you have selected the right species, a good compromise between impact and cost is to plant hedges at about 100-125cm height, though if cost is not a deciding factor then ‘instant hedges’ are available. Spacings vary depending upon the height and width of the plants, but usually 3-5 plants per metre is about right, and they should be laid out before you begin planting, and planted individually (not in a long trough) in a strip of earth completely cleared of grass and weeds. The hedging plants should be planted with mycorrhizal fungi, and well-watered in. The plants should mulched with a composted bark mulch, and watered weekly during their first spring and summer - watering is critical and influences how the hedge performs, how thick and lush it is, how fast it grows, and how long it lives.
Hedges should be trimmed prudently during their establishment years, and many species should not have their leader pruned until the desired hedge height has been reached. After the first few years, hedges are trimmed 1-3 times per year depending upon species.
There is plenty of information available on planting hedges, Hedges Direct provide excellent information for example. Speaking to a garden designer, landscape gardener or landscape consultant, especially for larger hedge planting jobs, is a wise move, as mistakes can be costly.
To discuss garden design or landscape consultancy, give Tom a call on 0141 432 1141 or email on tom@tomangel.co.uk