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Hedging advice...

aidanhoadaidanhoad Posts: 174
in Plants
Hi all,

A short while back I planted out a number of griselinia littoralis with the intent that they will eventually form a hedgerow.

I must apologise in advance, I am no gardener and I wondered if perhaps I should be cutting the tops off to encourage side growth?

I must admit I am just pleased at this point in time that they’re still living and therefore happy (for now) in their new home!

Thanks in advance all!

Aidan :)

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Posts

  • ElferElfer Posts: 329
    Formitive pruning should be done in late winter or early spring when plants are dormant.
  • aidanhoadaidanhoad Posts: 174
    @Elfer - thank you for your post. It’s less about shaping and more about encouraging dense growth as I am sure I read somewhere that once planted you should cut the tops off basically...

    I will wait until next year before I take the shears to them!! :)

    Thanks again!
    Aidan.
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    Personally, I wouldn't bother, these are dense, bushy shrubs that will branch out on their own without any help.. besides, you've paid for hedging presumably a certain height, so I wouldn't want to cut that short..  but it's up to you, there's no right or wrong..

    When they reach a reasonable height, during Spring, I would trim then if I thought it necessary, but as you can see from my variegated version below, which has never been touched with the secateurs or shears.. it's nice and bushy, regardless..  the green ones you have grow taller and are more vigorous than this one..


    East Anglia, England
  • aidanhoadaidanhoad Posts: 174
    @Marlorena - thanks for your post!

    OK, I shall hold off - I think it’s partly impatience on my behalf. Fingers crossed in a few years they’ll be dense and bushy!!

    Thanks again :)

    Aidan.
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    I think the advice to trim the tops of newly planted hedging is more appropriate for species which are trees rather than shrubs. So the likes of beech, hornbeam and laurel which want to be large trees with bare trunks need to be controlled and encouraged to bush out whereas shrubby plants like your griselinia will bush out naturally. A trim won't do them any harm though.
  • WibbleWibble Posts: 89
    I have griselinia here, and have had it at a previous house. While it won’t get a totally bare trunk like a tree hedge might, it definitely gets very straggly if it is not trimmed regularly. The one here had been neglected for some years when I moved in and it was leggy at the top and quite gappy up to about 5’. A light trim will help the foliage bush out and create a nice dense hedge all the way up to your desired final height. 

    Be aware also that griselinia can get extremely thick if not kept in check - the one here was nearly 6’ thick in places. I’ve thinned it heavily, and am also increasing its height - as a reference point, mine has put on approx 1’ of growth in a year (with regular light trimming to keep it bushy). If not trimmed at all, it would probably have grown about half as much again, but the growth would be soft and leggy.
  • ElferElfer Posts: 329
    Formative pruning is basically a big haircut which is what is required if you want to change its shape ie promote side growth. A light trim is purely for maintenance, ie to keep a certain shape.

    Also some folk think it's ok to take shears to newly planted hedging whilst others think it's best to do that after a year or so allowing them to get settled in unless its blackthorn, privet & Laurel.
  • aidanhoadaidanhoad Posts: 174
    Hi all,

    rather old post I know but having planted Griselinia earlier in the year it would seem that it is now rooted well and has put on some (albeit minimal) growth…

    Can anyone shed some light as to when I should be pruning and how much etc?

    Thank you,
    Aidan.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Depends what height and possible width you want to eventually achieve.  If you only planted earlier this year,and you mention minimal growth so far,  I'd suggest you leave pruning until you are absolutely sure they have become properly established. It's not really that long - 6/8 months perhaps.
    As always, it often helps when asking for advice to also post a photo or 2 showing the site and the plant along with info on the soil conditions/orientation etc :)
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 347
    edited October 2021
    If you can wait that long, azaleas make a nice hedge.
    This started life as a single plant in a 4" pot my wife bought from the reduced to clear bin on a market stall thirty years ago. She managed to split the stem carying it home on the bus with the rest of the shopping. I repaired it with Sellotape. I layered it over the years and I trim it  each year with garden shears so it doesn't hang too much over the lawn or the pavement on the other side.
    It's no bother. It's been this effective for fifteen years.


    The rhodo and viburnum behind  it,  helps to add to the screening effect.


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