ican

Hedges serve a multitude of purposes and often more than one purpose at the same time. This article gives some tips to achieving the perfect hedge including a list of the better plants to use.

At a glance;

Height: 30cm to 2 metres plus

Feature: Always attractive and useful

Care: Easy to trim and maintain

Position: Full sun to shade

Soil conditions: Well drained avergae garden soil

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A hedge may replace a fence, screen the property from neighbours or the road, and provide shelter. Neatly trimmed hedges and garden edges set the scene for a formal garden. Within the borders, separate styles or colours can be framed, enhancing the picture.

‍Selection

When considering the plant species for your hedge you will naturally be looking for a plant which has an attractive texture / colour that blends with your surrounds. But also consider how high and how fast you want your hedge to grow. Fast growing hedges will need more regular trimming. It is also a good idea to select plants which will regrow fully from a hard cut back if they get too large.

‍Where to plant

Consider your soil type and climatic factors. In a windy situation, a hardy plant species will survive and thrive better than something more tender.

When to plant

Autumn, winter and early spring are the best times to plant depending on when the selected plants are available.

‍How to plant

Dig a generous sized hole and prepare your soil with generous amounts of compost and add a slow-release fertiliser - we recommend quality ican Premium Planting Mix, and add ican Slow Food as a slow release feed. Water well to settle into the soil, and keep moist if rain does not fall.

‍Pests and diseases

Most hedge plants are relatively free of pests but on occasion thrips, mites, mealy bug and scale can be a problem. Trim off the affected leaves as in normal trimming, and spray new growth with Grosafe Enspray 99 + Grosafe Groventive. In very severe cases of thrips, it pays to give the hedge a very hard prune before spraying but only if the plants are capable of regrowing from mature wood.

‍Pruning

Lightly trim young plants regularly to encourage bushing as early as possible after planting. Once established, a hedge should be trimmed to shape and size late spring after the new growth has matured and late autumn to catch that autumn growth before winter. Trim so the base is wider than the top to catch the light.