Suggestions for a weather-proof hedge suitable for June planting.

KazDub

Having lost my lovely griselinia's in the heavy snow of winter 2010 I'd like to finally fill in the space where it grew. Can anyone suggest a replacement hedge which will be more resiliant in harsh winters and which could be planted this late in the year?
Should I stick to saplings or go for hedges that have already been grown for a while and are there any particular plants which grow quicker than others?
Any help, tips or suggestions greatly appreciated.

pwurple

Hold off on planting if you can.
Do you need evergreen? Is the site very windy?

Beech, Hornbeam, Holly, Privet and Yew would all be good for windy spots. Holly Privet and yew being the everygreen ones.

KazDub

It's not in an overly windy spot but it's not sheltered from the elements either. It's for the alongside a driveway and just looks so unsightly as weeds and grass have taken firm root. I'd prefer evergreen, but I think the holly might be too prickly for my liking. We park quite close to the hedge and I can imagine the annoyance at being poked by the holly. Our neighbours have shown an interest in planting a hedge soon, as the ground has been left empty since the hedges died off. However, if best practice advises against planting now, would we be looking at the beginning of next spring for planting?

bbam

Green or Golden privet..
You will buy pot grown specimens for €3 suitable for planting in June
Evergreen and frost/wind resistant.

I would say that June isn't a great month for planting as if the weather turns dry and hot you'll need to water them daily...

You can get them bare root in the dormant season for about €1.50 each

pwurple

Ahh, driveway. ok, I assumed it was windbreak or something you were looking for.

For alongside a driveway I'd maybe think about something decorative. Maybe Photinia Red Robin? Makes a good hedge. Takes a light clipping twice a year maybe. The privit as well would be good. Yew might be a bit too dark coloured, depends if you have something light to contrast with it, pale grey stone driveway or something would be nice.

If you wanted to skip the clippings, you could go for a mixed evergreen shrubbery rather than a hedge. A few choysia's, some pittisporums, that kind of thing.

Autumn is the start of the dormant season. October / November you will get barerooted hedging for about 1/3 of the price of potted ones you can buy now. And they will be stronger plants a lot of the time as well. You will probably get photinia for about 2.50 a plant... about 1 ft tall. They grow fast enough. For 3.50 a plant they will be a year older and taller. Maybe ~2ft.

If I were you, I would take this time to prepare the ground for hedge. Break up the soil, kill the weeds. Then in a few months, dig your trench, digging in some decent fertiliser and get the bare rooted plants. They would bed in over winter and start growing at a running pace in spring.

Oldtree

ditto to the above. It takes 8-10 years to establish a hedge so no need to rush into it. The plants will do better in the long run if planted bareroot, are cheaper, require less aftercare and you can check the health of the roots in winter, no potbounds or left over bareroot no one wanted potted up recently stock for you then.

beech is my favorite.

paddy147

+1 to the above and what both Pwurple and Oldtree has said.



Do the prep work for the soil in the meantime and then wait till winter or next spring to plant bareroots.

Compost,manure,fertilizer pellets and horticultural grit too.

Favourite for me and my girlfriend is Hornbeam,for a fair few reasons.:D

PS-Regular watering of bareroots and liquid feeding is also key to good growth.;)