Choices For A New Hedge?

[archway]

I live in the Borders of Scotland. I am gong to plant about 200 l/metres of hedge alongside a new post and rail fence. I would like my hege to offer some wind shelter, be reasonably quick growing, fill out well at the base, be hardy, and look good in a rural situation. What do people suggest, eg: a mixture, if so of what? or a single species etc. Ideas please. Thankyou

 

[JohnD]

Does it have to keep stock in (or out)?

Will you want to lay it, or just clip it?

 

[DennisLS]

My neighbour has laurel.....that seems to grow quite quickly, looks good and seems to be pretty dense ( the laurel, not my neighbour)

)

 

[JohnD]

I've got a laurel, slow to trim, due to the big leaves you aren't supposed to use shears or electric trimmers, but secateurs.

Nice waxy, evergreen leaves, though. No great obstacle to pushing through as growth is quite soft.

 

[archway]

The hedge will be separated from the stock(horses and sheeep) by the fence. I do not intend to lay it and just clip it. I frgot to mention that it should not be poisonous to stock either. I am thinking of a mix of, Hawthorn, blackthorn wiyh some beech, holly etc thrown in for good measure?

 

[JohnD]

I bet they will poke their faces through and nibble it

 

[archway]

I am sure they will, however I will also be nibbling the sheep a few months later! What about something thorny ?

 

[morphe]

i planted GRISELINIA littoralis a few months back, its similar looking to laurel.

 

[DennisLS]

They won't get through this

Gorse

 

[Nerine]

I think your ideas for native hedging are great. You could add field maple and dog rose to those as well. It won't be incredibly fast growing but it will look right in the setting and the birdies will love it. Best time to plant is autumn or winter. Find a good local supplier who can offer you bare root plants (much cheaper than pots) suited to your soil. Try
www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1100hedge_planting.asp for planting and aftercare advice.

 

[oilman]

It takes a long time to grow a thick hedge, that's just a fact of life, there IS no way of hurrying it. Geoff Hamilton mentioned an old book which said that the hedge needs to be cut back to near the ground each year for the first seven years. But you do get a near stock proof hedge faster that way.

I put in a mixed decidious hedge about 20 years ago, didn't cut it back as above, but now it's a mass of vegitation. Its about 15 to 20 feet tall but it brings i the birds as they have some where to perch (and hide from the sparrow hawks).

As Nerine says, get LOCAL plants, they are better suited to your area and so will grow well.

The plants cost less than a pound each, and some were left to grow to trees. One of the silver birches would have been about 40 feet tall if I hadn't got it cut back so much. Its trunk is about 9 inch diameter. I left about 10 birches and hazels in a clump to grow into a mini woodland, and later planted local bluebells and primroses in it.

 

[Hazelb]

If you find someone in your area ( wide area), who can supply bare-rooted cuttings (whips) of native mixed hedging, you can give them a call. The suppliers are sometimes really knowledgeable about what hedge is best where.

We got great advice about a 20m hedge we put in about 3 years ago. We decided on a 8ft hornbeam, it already looks realy good.

 

[ModernMaterials]

I am thinking of a mix of, Hawthorn, blackthorn wiyh some beech, holly etc thrown in for good measure?

sounds superb

but bear in mind ...beech is deciduous but retains its dead leaves

holly is evergreen

the other 2 are deciduous but wont retain dead leaves.

i mention this because i think a beech hedge is the king of hedges

beech on its own is green or purple in growing season and brown in winter it always looks great

but maybe im biased

 

[archway]

Many Thanks, I think I am coming round to a pure Hornbeam, 3 rows at 600mm spacings with rabbit protection.