Recommendations for Beech Hedge?

Shefwedfan

I am looking for some advice. I am looking to plant a beech hedge around my property. At the moment I need to cover about 80 metre's. I got advice that I should plant about 3 per metre so need to buy 240 or so

I was looking for advice on where to buy them? I talking to friend and his recommendation is 90-120cm. Any recommendations

Also I have contacted a few people about planting them. All of them are asking for mad money, I talked to my friend and he says I should just plant them myself. He says you just dig a hole and drop them in. I just want to check if I need to do anything else? I know I need to keep them watered etc but do I need moss peat or anything like that when planting?

greysides

I planted a beech hedge 20 or so years ago. It has grown well in a poor site. It's kept about 3m now having been topped off. I planted one every 18". I used a double row in some parts. The trick is to prepare the ground beforehand. Have it broken up (rotovated) and organic matter added. Then you could plant them behind a shade, pushed in and moved to make a slit. In some places I had to dig a hole. Once planted, water really well and regularly, and control grass and weeds. A bit of fertilizer each spring too.

I added moss peat when planting but the soil was really poor. Drier soils suit beech; in wetter, Hornbeam will give a similar hedge and fare better.

I left some plants in the hedge grow on to trees. I wouldn't advise it. I'd keep trees separate and back from the hedge if I was doing it again.

The prepared soil could be covered with membrane and plants put in through cuts made in it. This would make controlling weeds easier.