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Privet hedge

sara.vancesara.vance Posts: 3
in Problem solving
Hello all!

April last year my OH and I planted 250 odd bare root privet plants in a staggered double line round our new house. We religiously watered them and cut them back at the end of the growing season as instructed.

Before they get going again this year, I'm wondering if I should feed/ fertilise them in some fashion? I did google this and was presented with the info I should give the plants a 15-5-10 fertiliser but I have been unable to locate a mix that matches that on the usual websites. 

Does anyone have any suggestions for getting my itty bitty privet into a lovely lush hedge? 

TIA


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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @sara.vance - if the ground was well prepped before planting, the best method is to feed the soil - ie add compost/rotted manure/leaf mould etc. They don't really need feeding if the soil's in good condition  :)
    Alternatively, you could just sprinkle a bit of Blood Fish & Bone lightly, and then add some mulch of the aforementioned organic matter, or even just some bark. 
    Keeping the border clear of any competing grass/weeds etc is also beneficial, and the mulch will really help to keep on top of weeds.
    Just bear in mind that it'll still take a few years for the hedge to really thicken up well  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • sara.vancesara.vance Posts: 3
    @Fairygirl thank you so much! I shall give that a try!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If they're all doing fine, that's really all they'll need  :)
    I never feed hedging after it's put in, but we have clay soil here, and as long as it has a good prep, it's fine after that.
    Watering really isn't needed either here, but you'll just have to check that yours are ok if it's dry going into spring/summer, and especially if you have lighter soil or are in a drier part of the country. After that they should be fine  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    I am not a privet lover.  Anything else.  I would dig them out and replace by Beech or Hornbeam or Yew.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    Fortunately it isn't your hedge, @bédé.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I love privet @Liriodendron. Grows really well up here, and I'm sure it does with you too - plenty of available moisture  ;)
    Great for wildlife - especially flowers for the pollinators, and then the berries for the birds.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    JennyJ said:
    A lot of people seem to think that privet is undesirable, "common" even. But it's common for good reason - it's tolerant of all kinds of conditions, gives a nice unobtrusive green backdrop to the garden, relatively inexpensive as bare-roots, and if it gets out of hand it can be cut back hard and will regrow. It does just fine here in much drier conditions than @Fairygirl has, sandy soil and lower rainfall.
    Indeed @JennyJ. It grows to great proportions here - sometimes too great, because of the moisture, but that's part of the reason why it's so useful. 
    It's also pretty good as a topiary specimen, and for nesting birds. There's a smashing one along a garden boundary not far from me, which is shaped like Nessie  :)
     
    What's not to like  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • sara.vancesara.vance Posts: 3
    JennyJ said:
    A lot of people seem to think that privet is undesirable, "common" even. But it's common for good reason - it's tolerant of all kinds of conditions, gives a nice unobtrusive green backdrop to the garden, relatively inexpensive as bare-roots, and if it gets out of hand it can be cut back hard and will regrow. It does just fine here in much drier conditions than @Fairygirl has, sandy soil and lower rainfall.

    @JennyJ, we picked it for a lot of the reasons you list! I also am a big fan of the beautiful little white flowers and their smell. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The flower smell is one of those divisive things @sara.vance - some love it and some hate it  :)
    Good luck with it - if you have any problems or further queries, just ask. A photo or two is also useful for that. The icon that looks like hills is the one for pix   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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