Beech Hedge Watering Option

Shefwedfan

Ok, I planted a beech hedge earlier this year. I have been running the hose over them due to the dry weather but they are really not looking great.

I am wondering what is best option, I was going to invest in a soaker hose and run it along them. Would leaving this on all night use much water?

Also I am going away for over 10 days on holidays and it looks like a heat wave coming. I would guess leaving the hose on all the time would be way over the top, any idea's what to do? would a cheap timer like the below work?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garden-Automatic-Irrigation-Controller-Timer-Water-Program-System-YG/272996208395?hash=item3f8fd78f0b:m:mCGpe0ODk047EHTUfL9w0Cg

macraignil

Planted a hedge of hornbeam and whitethorn back at the end of March and its not been watered at all except for rain and the dew at night. Was clearing weeds from under it earlier and all the hedge plants seem to be growing well (except for one that had got pulled out of the ground as the fence was probably a bit too low on one side - good thing there is a double row). The ground is dry but hedge roots go deep into the soil so clearing the weeds is the only after care it's likely to get this year. I realise you are probably right to give the hedge some water to help it settle in but I'd be very surprised if it could not survive for ten days without additional watering. A good watering before you go on holiday should be fine in my opinion unless your hedge is planted in sand which would retain very little water. A good mulch around the base might help reduce evaporation if you were worried.

Lumen

Get your hands dirty to figure out what's going on.

I have a new hedge planted last November (not bareroot, mind) that hasn't seen a hose all year, and is in the "dry shade" of a row of Lleylandii, but the soil is still moist, I think because it sits at the bottom of a slope so has been watered by runoff, and the shade and mulch prevents too much evaporation.

It isn't looking perfect either, with the odd yellow leaf, but as overwatering is so much worse than underwatering I'm leaving it alone for now.

Shefwedfan

I have pulled all weeds and grass around the trees.

I am in the arid lands of Meath. The ground gets as dry as a bone very quickly. The soil is good but even the grass is not growing rapidly at the moment. In wetter weather I would need to mulch at least twice a week. At the moment I have given it a run maybe once in last 10 days....

I put the hose around all the trees last night. Bought in a soaking hose so I might run that and just give it a good soaking before I go and hope that holds it in....

Till the soaking hose arrives I guess it is me walking around :-)

Shaunoc

Shefwedfan wrote: »

I have pulled all weeds and grass around the trees.

I am in the arid lands of Meath. The ground gets as dry as a bone very quickly. The soil is good but even the grass is not growing rapidly at the moment. In wetter weather I would need to mulch at least twice a week. At the moment I have given it a run maybe once in last 10 days....

I put the hose around all the trees last night. Bought in a soaking hose so I might run that and just give it a good soaking before I go and hope that holds it in....

Till the soaking hose arrives I guess it is me walking around :-)

I'll be out every couple nights now watering, as ground is already baked from last dry spell. The coming week there will be tumbleweeds rolling by

Shefwedfan

These are the worst few, I think they are dead?

THe rest still have a few green leaves on them......or still some as you can see in back of pic are fully green

GLENNFALLON

Yeah, have the same problem. Planted bear root in march. Some of the are flying along. But the ones that were in a very wet area are now looking very brown.. Im hoping they will come back soon or even next year. Only started watering them the other night as I only just bought a hose long enough to reach them. Fingers crossed it not to late..

GLENNFALLON

Yeah, have the same problem. Planted bear root in march. Some of the are flying along. But the ones that were in a very wet area are now looking very brown.. Im hoping they will come back soon or even next year. Only started watering them the other night as I only just bought a hose long enough to reach them. Fingers crossed it not to late..

Shefwedfan

GLENNFALLON wrote: »

Yeah, have the same problem. Planted bear root in march. Some of the are flying along. But the ones that were in a very wet area are now looking very brown.. Im hoping they will come back soon or even next year. Only started watering them the other night as I only just bought a hose long enough to reach them. Fingers crossed it not to late..

I bought soaking hose.....great job so far. I planted in Feb, bare root but I have 100m of hedge....too much to try and water. So I have a 25m soaking hose and a 50m on the way....one part is a long 50m stretch so going to install 50m on it and then move the 25 m over and back from other sections....

I ran the 25m last night and kept a trickle running into it....ground wet this morning.....I know Irish water will be after me but hedge cost a fortune and not willing to let it die out

Seve OB

Shefwedfan wrote: »

...I know Irish water will be after me but hedge cost a fortune and not willing to let it die out

None of their business. If they really were concerned then they should have left in the charge per use.

looksee

Going over the ground with a hose, sprinkling the surface, is worse than not doing it at all. If you investigate a couple of inches down after watering and it is still dry then you are wasting your time and bringing the roots to the surface. Mulch would be more effective.

If you scratch the stem and it is any way greeny-white (as against dry white) then they are not dead. (Use your thumbnail)