Why Plant A Hedge
- Living privacy fence to provide privacy from street
traffic and neighbors
- Sound barrier to reduce noise
- Windbreak to reduce harsh winds
- Snow fence to reduce snow accumulation
- Wildlife sanctuary and feed birds
Planning
Select
vigorous disease-free and pest-free and resistant plants that suit your region.
Wise plant choices make a healthy hedge that's easy to maintain. Slow- and
moderate-growing shrubs and trees are best. Fast growing plants require more
pruning (hedging).
Your
choice of shrubs or seedling trees also should be guided by the style of hedge
you want. Formal hedges, with a solid architectural form, neatly frame a yard
or rooms within it. Deciduous flowering shrubs, such as lilac, spiraea,
forsythia, and evergreens, such as boxwood, arborvitae, holly, develop into
effective hedges although much of the flower power is loss. Set the height and
depth of the hedge according to the vigor of the plants chosen.
Planning,
Measuring and Staking the length of the planting area is next up, followed by
shopping for plants, digging, and watering.
Planting...
1. Stake
and mark the planting area, whether in a straight line or a curved one. Use a
measuring tape as a guide. Be sure to consider underground utilities when
selecting the planting location. Avoid planting over utilities if possible.
2. Space plants set
potted shrubs in place, allowing room for the plants to reach their mature
size. Stagger plants in two rows for a thicker hedge that will fill in more
quickly.
3. Space accordingly based as on the mature width of the shrub as
the spacing between the plants' root balls.
4. Dig
the planting holes and remove the shrubs from pots and set them at the same
dept. Space according to what shrubs you are setting and refill in the planting
holes.
5. Water shrubs
as needed throughout the first growing season.
6. Mulch - Spread
a 2 to 3 inch layer of shredded pine bark mulch between the plants. Keep the mulch
away from the plants' stems to allow water to reach the roots.
Plant Choices For Hedges:
Evergreens: Emerald
arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’), Western arborvitae (Thuja plicata), Green
Giant arborvitae (Thuja standishi x
plicata), Canadian hemlock (Tsuga
canadensis), Schip or Cherry Laurel (Prunus
laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis'), Glossy abelia (Abelia × grandiflora), Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra), Boxwood (Buxus spp.), Hicks
yew (Taxus x media), Junipers (Juniperus chinensis), Cedars (Juniperus virginiana), Japanese Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus).
Deciduous: European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Linden (Tilia spp.), European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), Hedge Maple (Acer campestre), Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea), Forsythia (Forsythia spp.), Various spireas (Spiraea spp.), Flowering quince (Chaenomeles x), red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima'), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii).
