I started to cut back a hedge and found much of the iner parts are dead wood which will leave gaps. Can anyone suggest which are the best fast growing hedging plants to fill the gaps.
Yew and Thuja would alter its character. The hedge must be close to 100 years old and has been grown to about ten feet tall mostly of small evergreen leaves. I hoped to be able to dig the dead stuff away and plant seedling hedge plants.
It would be helpful if you could post a photo showing the hedge. It will be very difficult for any seedlings to establish within a big old hedge - shortage of light, water and nutrients.
It may be that the 'dead bits' inside will resprout and green up all by themselves, possibly with a bit of patience required. You don't say it's a conifer, so my guess is it's privet or box. Privet will often regrow in time. Box will regrow in no time at all.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
I'd agree - we'd need to see what hedge you have @BML . That determines how, or if, it can be repaired or amended.
If it's Box - it might be on it's way out anyway - depending on where you live. I've never seen so many queries on the forum about blight/box moth as there's been this year.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sorry I wasn’t clear … I wasn’t suggesting that you use yew or thuja … I was just saying that if your hedge was either of those then it should reshoot as suggested by @Loxley , and may not need replacing.
It would help if we knew what the hedge is 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The hedge has two main plants both what I refer to as Evergreen one is a small leaf about half an inch and the other a little over twice that size. It is not box. Its not possible to identify the dead bits of hedge as they are as dead as door nails but the pieces are about two inches diameter which neither of the live pieces of hedge are. I intend to clear gaps of at least 12 inches thereby giving light to seedlings which I will buy in at about two feet high and will water and give nutrients to them.
I'm guessing one of the Loniceras [ or 2 of them] but it's just not possible to give any helpful advice without the relevant info/photos Putting new bits in might work if the soil's cleared and properly refreshed, and then the new plants are well watered for the next month or two, and mulched, but if there's a pest or disease causing the problems, it could be pointless planting anything else.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
This a section of the hedge. In order to get it reconstructed I would welcome advice as to what is the talest seedling I can use and where would I get them? Many thanks
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It may be that the 'dead bits' inside will resprout and green up all by themselves, possibly with a bit of patience required. You don't say it's a conifer, so my guess is it's privet or box. Privet will often regrow in time. Box will regrow in no time at all.
If it's Box - it might be on it's way out anyway - depending on where you live. I've never seen so many queries on the forum about blight/box moth as there's been this year.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Putting new bits in might work if the soil's cleared and properly refreshed, and then the new plants are well watered for the next month or two, and mulched, but if there's a pest or disease causing the problems, it could be pointless planting anything else.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...