Hedges

Reasons for Planting a Hedge

• to create a living wall of privacy
• to soften the look of wood or chainlink fences
• a windbreak for prevailing winds
• noise and visual barrier
• add uniformed element to the landscape design
• backdrop colour
• differentiate property lines

Types of Plants used for Creating a Hedge

For a formal hedge use

• Boxwood (sun or shade)
• Cedar (sun or partial shade
• Yew (sun or shade)
• Euonymus (sun or shade, depending on variety)
• Juniper (sun or partial shade)
• Privet (sun or partial shade)
• Blue Arctic Willow (sun)
• Alpine Currant (sun or shade)

For an Informal Hedge

• Roses (sun)
• Spirea (sun or shade)
• Dogwood (sun or shade)
• Lilac (sun or partial shade)
• Forsythia (sun or partial shade)
• Juniper (sun or partial shade)
• Snowball Viburnum (sun or shade)
• Elderberry (sun or partial shade)

For a Thorny Hedge

• Five Leaf Aralia (sun or partial shade)
• Barberry (sun)
• Flowering Quince (sun or partial shade)
• Russian Olive (sun)
• Holly (sun or partial shade)
• Firethorn (sun or partial shade)
• Roses (sun or partial shade)
• Spruce (sun or partial shade)
• Juniper (sun or partial shade)

Evergreen hedges are a full screen for 12 months of the year and provide colourful winter interest in your landscape design.

Planting and Pruning your Hedge

Deciduous plants should be cut at time of planting so they are all an equal height. Cut the tallest by at least one third. Evergreens, such as cedar, should have the tops cut back by at least 10cm and the sides trimmed slightly at time of planting. Evergreen hedges should also be trimmed ideally twice per year, once in early spring (to remove damaged or broken branches from winter conditions or normally-occurring browning), and once after the late-summer growth spurt (August-September).

As the hedge is maintained by pruning, the inner growth density will increase, thus, the hedge will look thicker and healthier. The pruning will also increase root development as there is less plant on top to feed.

It is also advisable to fertilize your hedge when it is planted with a good transplant fertilizer 5-15-5 or bonemeal.

There are many books available on pruning, however, it is very easy to over-prune and damage the plant. You can't put back what you cut off!

ExperTrees highly recommends using a professional for this, a skilled Landscaping Technician with experience in Pruning and Arbour Culture (the study of trees). Please contact Expertrees to set up an appointment.