Various questions about a new hedgerow of plants
This message is on behalf of my parents, I know almost nothing about plants myself. They don't know I am asking these questions but I thought I would try and help them out in case they find any of this information useful. The gardener who planted them has been great and even offered replacements if they die.
Below are multiple photos of a new hedgerow they had planted (by a gardener). The plants are not grown from seed here, the gardener inserted them pretty much the height they are now, they have been there about 3 weeks so far. There are 7 new plants in total, side by side.
Q1 : Is anyone able to name all 7 of the plants ? Some look the same as each other. If you need more detailed photos let me know.
Q2 : Does the plant in the last photo (or the last 2 plants on the right in the 2nd to last photo) look like they are dying ? Or is that how they are meant to look ?
Q3 : How often should each plant be watered and what would be considered the right amount of water used per watering ?
Q4 : What would be considered too little and too much water ?
Q5 : How long do you think they will need to be watered for, and does this decrease slowly over time ?
Q6 : If I were to install small watering jets pointed at each plant, automatically timed to come on, would this work ok ? What is the best method for auto watering a new hedgerow of this length ?
Thanks everyone for your help in advance, much appreciated !!
Posts
Q1, I can see a laurel but otherwise need more detailed photos
Q2 They look very ill
Q3 I would water them in very well then just make sure they didn't dry out. Too much water can be as bad as too little.
Q4, a good watering, a can full each, when they start to dry out rather than water every day.
Can be reduced over time by next year you'd only need to water if a drought.
Show us all the plants, one at a time. My initial thought is of a poor choice of plants here. A mixed hedge needs to be made of plants that fit well together with much the same growth rate and cutting requirements
Laurel is a massive plant, useful for a large scale hedge but not a space like that. It will overwhelm other plants in no time.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I'd agree with nut Jon. The laurel will get massive and the others will struggle to compete. Those two on the far right look like Pyracantha, and no, they shouldn't look like that. Looks like they've been sizeable plants and are possibly not happy just being plonked in there. They also might have been a bit pot bound on planting which may explain why they're not thriving. I'd prune those back to any green growth and see if they come away - they're usually pretty tough and easy to grow.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
1: First plant on from the left looks like it could be Pyracantha (although a little hard to tell, so would need a closer photo), second and fourth plants aren't Laurel (not sure what they are), plants three and five are Laurel and six and seven are Pyracantha.
2: The last two plants are dying - Same has happened at one of my customers garden. I moved a small Pyracantha shrub (one out of four) because it had apparently hardly grown since they were first planted. The shrub was in poor soil, right next to big conifer and from what I know of, got hardly/if any sun light. I moved one shrub to a more open but sheltered spot, in dappled sun and better soil but the plant (that was healthy before) started to die after a week or so. Not sure why, either I didn't dig enough roots out or it could be shock.
Do you know where your plants (Pyracanthas especially) have come from?
6: Auto irrigation system isn't always the best way to go. Unless you check the plants regularly, you've got to be careful that the plants don't get over/under watered (not all will, but some might), which is why it is important to check
One or two of the plants could be lilac. It is a very odd combination for a hedge because the laurels could take over and swamp the other plants. The pyracanthas don't look happy. All newly planted shrubs need to be watered on a regular basis until they have established.
As these are relatively immature plants your parents might be better off starting again. This might even be the cheaper option in the longer term.
I would ask them what type of hedge they are looking to achieve... wild or formal.... large or small...flowers and or berries..... ease of maintenance... associated with bulbs etc.....that sort of thing.
Then post their answers on here and the advice will flood in.
Are the first and third ones buddleia? 2 and 4th laurel - is one a rhod? Last two look like ill pyracantha. They are all very close together given that they really grow out. The pyracantha seem to have flowers about ready - a couple of buckets of water might help?
If I were replacing them all (which I'm not suggesting is an option ) - I'd plant 4 bamboo Great Wall which can be bought for the height of that fence and would flutter nicely just over the top of it and they don't care what kind of soil they are in. They can take any weather but the light green would really brighten up that area and look superb.
Hope they survive, good luck with them anyway
Thanks guys for the answers. As requested I have included some more photos. The top 3 are shots of the other hedges in the garden. Supposedly the new ones are being grown for security really to stop people easily jumping the fence. Each plant now photographed individually.
REMEMBER TO CLICK EACH ONE TO ZOOM IN !
Thanks Jon
I'm not sure how laurel and privet/lilac are going to deter marauders
but pyracantha is a good thorny deterrent, once it gets established - however yours doesn't look very happy there. Berberis would be another possibility - it would take a very determined person to scale a fence covered in berberis, and DNA evidence would undoubtedly be left behind on the spines!
My daughter and her husband have a very spiney climbing rose (Mermaid) across the top of their rear boundary and anyone trying to climb in that way would probably be found still entagled and hanging from it several hours later!
Have we established which way that fence faces and how much light the area gets?
I think we need a bit more information about the site and soil conditions please. Also, are your parents able to do pruning etc themselves, or do they have the help of a regular person to do stuff like that, or would pruning/hedge trimming be done on an occasional basis (by you or someone else)?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I totally agree with Dove Jon. Berberis and Pyracantha will deter most people!
or gripper rod....
Bereberis can be easier to establish than Pyracantha and grows in quite heavy shade too. Pyracantha prefers a bit of sun, though once established it'll take shade.
Jon.R- hmmmm.....are you Jon Richardson?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...