Advice re Hedging

Jampip

Wanted to get some advice on hedging. I'm living in an area where the soil is wet and isn't of great quality. Laurel had been recommended to me before as I'd need something good at blocking wind and I want something that grows high to block the view of our home from a nearby road.

Is there anything else people might recommend?

I have about 1000 foot worth of hedging to do. Am I right in thinking that is about 500 plants at €2 a pop so essentially €1 a foot for plants that are already 2 foot high?

What cost would I be looking at for planting them? And before people say it, I am useless with my hands so planting myself is not an option.

macraignil

If the ground gets waterlogged the Laurel hedge might not survive. It is a good choice for an everrgreen hedge but it would also be an idea to look at what types of hedging plants are been used near to where you are going to plant. If it is very wet ground plants like willow or alder might grow faster. Hawthorne is also a popular choice particularly if you want the hedge in time to provide more of a barrier. I personaly would prefer to have a mixed hedge with a variety of native species. I'm not sure if you have space for some trees but these can also be bought young for similar prices to what you mention above. It depends what you prefer to look at.

As to the price of planting, you should be able to buy a shovel for about 20euro. Simply push the shovel with your foot into the soil where you want the hedge plant to go. Lever the shovel to make a space for the roots and push these into the soil. When the roots are under the soil simply stamp the ground firm around the plant. Professional forrestry and landscaping planters make it look easy and seem to use their feet more than their hands so you might find the process OK.

Jampip

Is Hawthorn an evergreen hedge like Laurel though?

macraignil

No Hawthorn is not evergreen but it does grow fairly dense if you keep it trimmed so the branches and thorns still form a barrier in winter. Ivy is evergreen and will often grow through mixed hedging giving some green colur in winter. Other possibilities for an evergreen hedge would be Viburnum tinus or Olearia macrodonta. Photonia Red Robin also makes an evergreen hedge tinged with red that gives a much better display than Laurel.

Jampip

macraignil wrote: »

No Hawthorn is not evergreen but it does grow fairly dense if you keep it trimmed so the branches and thorns still form a barrier in winter. Ivy is evergreen and will often grow through mixed hedging giving some green colur in winter. Other possibilities for an evergreen hedge would be Viburnum tinus or Olearia macrodonta. Photonia Red Robin also makes an evergreen hedge tinged with red that gives a much better display than Laurel.

I did a bit of reading on the Photonia Red Robin and my one worry would be that apparently they are not very hardy? The area where I live is very wet.

macraignil

Maybe so. I have been growing some in north Cork OK but drainage isn't a problem.