hedges can be fast. We planted a hawthorn hedge along part of the boundary in our last garden as a windbreak. It grew 6' in its first year - young whips well planted in a decent trench improved with manure and garden compost then pruned to 9"/23cms.
We then cut it back to 3' to encourage it to thicken, which it did - and still grew 6' tall.
So if I read this right three years to thicken and grow to 6ft?
Year one was from double planted whips that grew to 6ft straight up. Then cut down to 9 inches.
Year two from 9 inches to unknown height and probably with more side branches growing, before being cut to 3 ft.
Year three from 3ft to 6ft with more side growth.
Have you had it laid? If so after how many years? I heard they only get stock proof after being laid and growing on from its first laying. If that's the correct term.
I must admit in prefer native species hedges with specimen trees. Whether hawthorns left to grow into a tree or other species. At the moment in the fence line there's two hazels of reasonable size, not quite a foot diameter, and two hazel trees. In addition there is a young seedling next to the gate, a hazel I think. Need to dig it up and move it before it grows too big. What time of year is best for that?? It's growing kind of in front of the gate in the path. Two to three feet high but thin. Got a few side branches already though.
Thing is I'm spotting more trees when I spend time up there. Not often because we're trying to get lower garden and front garden tidy first.i think the hazel self seeded from the bigger hazel up there. I could end up finding more if I clear it up in a bit. Is hazel a pioneering species that seeds easily?
No. year one at planting time, cut to 9". Next year growth of 6' which we cut down to 3' to thicken it. Growth of 6' again the following year but thereafter we kept it to about 2m high.
Didn't lay it because it grew thickly all by itself on account of good soil, plenty of rain and the regular trimming.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
You can use a wire mesh system to hold dry stonework which uses a lot less stone. With planting pockets built in and climbers planted at the base the look is softened quite quickly. They can be great for wildlife and more permanent than timber fencing.
If you are moving young deciduous trees like hazel then they should have a better success rate if they are moved when dormant and have no leaves over winter. You could also make the hazel into wider multi-stemmed plants by coppicing them( cutting them down to a stump and letting them regrow). To illustrate the development of a hedge with no manure added and just planted in individual planting holes rather than a trench I posted this video of a hornbeam and white thorn hedge two years after it was planted. It is now three years planted and I will post an update video in the next few weeks. I have only trimmed the branches growing out in to the field space on either side and this I think has helped the centre part of the hedge get a bit thicker. It seems to be meshing together now anyway without the more severe chopping back to make it more bushy as some people prefer. There are small spaces at the base that small animals could pass through but that is not a problem here so I don't think we are going to lay the hedge and the white thorn should deter anything bigger trying to pass through anyway. The thorns are a bit more severe on black thorn so I'd be careful if you are thinking of planting some of these as they can also sucker and spread and the thorns are much more dangerous than those of the white thorn.
I think a stone wall would look fantastic in that location - but it does sound expensive to do it properly and safely. If gabions are within your budget, they're definitely worth considering. Pretty sure I've seen them on a gardening programme where they filled them with stone but also layered in compacted soil so they could plant alpines etc into crevices to soften the whole thing.
Failing that I'd go for the native hedge. I planted hawthorn whips a few years ago (very cheap to buy in bulk) and, within 3 years, had a 4' high hedge of reasonable density. 6 years on it would be really thick if I let it alone. Treated mine same as Obelixx except I didn't really improve the soil - and it still grew away well.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
We've got two hazel with multi stems like they were coppiced. I intend to coppice them for various rods in the garden, possibly a walking pole too. They're looking good too.
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Year one was from double planted whips that grew to 6ft straight up. Then cut down to 9 inches.
Year two from 9 inches to unknown height and probably with more side branches growing, before being cut to 3 ft.
Year three from 3ft to 6ft with more side growth.
Have you had it laid? If so after how many years? I heard they only get stock proof after being laid and growing on from its first laying. If that's the correct term.
I must admit in prefer native species hedges with specimen trees. Whether hawthorns left to grow into a tree or other species. At the moment in the fence line there's two hazels of reasonable size, not quite a foot diameter, and two hazel trees. In addition there is a young seedling next to the gate, a hazel I think. Need to dig it up and move it before it grows too big. What time of year is best for that?? It's growing kind of in front of the gate in the path. Two to three feet high but thin. Got a few side branches already though.
Thing is I'm spotting more trees when I spend time up there. Not often because we're trying to get lower garden and front garden tidy first.i think the hazel self seeded from the bigger hazel up there. I could end up finding more if I clear it up in a bit. Is hazel a pioneering species that seeds easily?
Didn't lay it because it grew thickly all by itself on account of good soil, plenty of rain and the regular trimming.
Failing that I'd go for the native hedge. I planted hawthorn whips a few years ago (very cheap to buy in bulk) and, within 3 years, had a 4' high hedge of reasonable density. 6 years on it would be really thick if I let it alone. Treated mine same as Obelixx except I didn't really improve the soil - and it still grew away well.