Hedges

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Apart from offering privacy and security, hedges of all types can be used to divide up areas into a series of 'rooms', so giving the garden a wider interest and surprise element.

Hedges can be grown in two ways

	Formal - where the hedge is trimmed from an early age and encouraged to grow in a neat, compact habit. Many plants adapt to this form of training but flowers and fruit are greatly reduced.
	Informal - where the hedge is left largely unpruned to produce a natural habit.

Choosing the right plant

Choosing the right plant for your chosen type of hedge is important. Consideration must be given to height, spread and your soil type and the position it is to grow in - i.e. sun or shade.

Width of hedges

Few will require an ultimate width of less than 1 metre (3ft), even the very smallest such as Lavendula (Lavender) will be 60cm (2ft) in width. To achieve height the base spread has to increase and a hedge such as Taxus baccata (Yew) at 3m (10ft) high will have a base spread of not less than 1.2m (4ft).

Planting

The best way to prepare soil is to dig a trench up to 1m (3ft) wide and not less than 25cm (1ft) deep, adding plenty of organic material such as well-rotted farmyard manure, garden compost, spent mushroom compost or a proprietary planting mixture.

Planting distances

Distance between each plant is important and with most varieties 60cm (2ft) is about right. Conifers are best planted not less than 1m (3ft) apart in the row.

Planting the staggered rows

Most plants develop into good hedges when planted in a single row but Thorn, Green Beech, Purple or Copper Beech and Hornbeam are best planted in two staggered rows with each row 40-50cm (15-18ins) apart.

Fertilizing

Conifers, including Yew respond well to a dressing of dried blood in mid to late Spring, otherwise a dressing with a general fertilizer is necessary.

Mulching

Mulching with organic material used for planting plus cocoa shell or even gravel will help growth by cooling the soil in Summer and protecting the roots in Winter. Always keep the mulch directly away from the stems of the plant.

Pruning

Pruning of young formal hedges should be carried out in early to late Spring. Reduce all growth by approximately 25% from both the top and sides. With established formal hedges the best final shape is to achieve a narrow top and wide bottom, so ensuring that rain and snow can run or fall off the sides without causing harm.

Trimming established formal hedges will have to be done once or twice a year and the best times are:

(a) Broad leafed Evergreens such as Laurel - early to late Spring, second cut mid to late Summer.

(b) Conifers - mid to late Summer.

(c) Deciduous plants such as Beech and Thorn - late Spring to early Summer.