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Planting a hedge
dnstannardHNEeiXYl
Posts: 5
Hi all
i need to plant a hedge to hide a neighbours caravan. Thinking about a laurel. It needs to be evergreen and grow quickly. I have seen laurel plants for sale that are already 6 feet tall.
i need to plant a hedge to hide a neighbours caravan. Thinking about a laurel. It needs to be evergreen and grow quickly. I have seen laurel plants for sale that are already 6 feet tall.
It is south facing. The length of the hedge needs to be 30 yards so will be an expensive investment. Need to get it right. Wooden panels are not an option.
I am a total novice here. Any advice would be welcome.
1. Types of hedge
2. Time to plant
3. Do I need to feed it/ water it.
2. Time to plant
3. Do I need to feed it/ water it.
0
Posts
Cherry laurel will certainly grow quite quickly, but it doesn't conveniently stop so it needs regular pruning to keep it in check. The time you have for maintaining the hedge is a factor in what you choose. Portuguese laurel is easier in that respect.
The most important thing is the prep, so in answer to your questions - there are lots of types of hedging which will suit but we'd need info on your rough location and climate, and the size of the space available.
If you wait about 6 weeks, you can order bare root plants. We can give you the details of places to try. You can often pre order too. Bare root season is autumn through winter, and means plants are much cheaper, but they need planting as soon as you get them. However, that gives you time to properly prep the area - getting the soil in good condition with lots of organic matter etc, and keeping it weed free.
Don't be tempted to buy larger plants as they don't establish as quickly, or as easily, as smaller ones. If you buy them at about 3 feet/1 metre you can plant more densely, but they will quickly catch up and outgrow those bigger specimens and will be bushier as well.
Here's the thread that gives you lots of info about cherry laurel -
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/656523/help-needed-please-with-laurel-hedge-issues/p1
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The problem there is- that it looks very dry already. The grass is quite yellow and parched looking. Even removing the wall to give you room to create a proper border won't really change that while the trees are there. It might not be easy establishing a good hedge easily, even if it's done in autumn when the trees will be clear of foliage.
However, if you can clear a good broad space- at least four feet or so, and add plenty of organic matter, then get a good amount of young whips, bare root, in a couple of months, so that you can plant densely, they'll establish reasonably well over winter, but you'd have to keep on top of watering all next year because of the trees. You have to have really persistent, and consistent, rainfall to avoid that through summer. Mulching well after winter to help preserve the moisture is really beneficial and also helps to keep weeds at bay.
This is an outlet I've used many times and will give you an idea of the types of hedging available and the prices
https://www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk/
Clay is actually by far the best soil type for growing plants of almost any kind. It does need some amending though - loads of organic matter helps drainage if the soil is consistently wet, and it does the opposite if the soil's consistently dry. It's full of nutrients
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Also realistically what sort of growth can I expect. I need it to get to 8 feet in as short a time as possible. Would it do this in say 3 years? We have sort of decided on Cherry laurel bare root plants but if something else would establish and grow quicker I don’t mind.
The quantities, or ratios, aren't too important - the more organic matter you can bung in, the better the soil structure will be, and therefore the better the whips will establish and grow.
I think it could be worth creating a proper bed with a decent edging to it, so that you can add lots and lots of it, without it just spilling onto the surrounding grass etc. You can then keep adding some over winter, which will help retain moisture especially heading into spring if you get drier weather there.
It'll take several years to get to 8 feet though. The first year the plants will be getting their roots established. They won't really start growing until after that, and it won't be several feet each year. This is where climate and temps come into it. Where I am, laurel establishes quite quickly, as it gets plenty of rain and the soil is suitable, but it doesn't gain many feet each year, even when happy. Probably around 18 inches to 2 feet at most. In warm, wet areas they probably put on more growth in the growing season.
Don't be tempted by bigger specimens thinking that they'll be better. They're harder to establish because of the size, and smaller ones will actually catch up in a couple of years, while bigger ones will struggle to stay hearty and healthy, especially in the summer, and if they get dry early on. You'd probably be best with ones at around 3 to 4 feet.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
this was December 14. Just 2 years after planting