Hedges
have a variety of uses in the landscape.
As a living fence, a hedge may be used as a screen to hide an unsightly
fence, or for privacy from the street, to define boundaries, a border around garden
beds, to guide visitors through the landscape or a maze of fun.
When
choosing plants for your hedge, you must first consider the following: -
Climate
– choose a plant that will tolerate the climatic conditions i.e., frost,
heavy rainfall, or dry conditions, hot/cool temperatures, coastal winds, snow
etc.
Aspect
– will the hedge be in full sun, shade, part shade, coastal etc
Height
– hedges can be miniature or tall, so choose your plants accordingly
Soil
type – sandy, heavy clay, moist, dry.
Planting:
Generally speaking, in order to achieve a thick, bushy hedge it is
advisable to distance the plants about ½ the width of the plant apart. For example, if the plant were 1.5m wide, the spacing would
be app. 75cm apart. For a smaller
miniature hedge or a slower growing small leaf plant, it would be advisable to
planting much closer. Either
dig each hole separately, or plant in a trench.
Try to choose plants of the same size, and if mixing your hedge plants
choose plants with the similar growth rates and habits.
Pruning:
The first prune is immediate.
It is recommended that you prune the plant by half, or at least one third.
A little drastic you may think, however, this will ensure a lot of new
growth particularly from the base of the plant and will avoid the appearance of
small leafless trunks. Prune regularly
until the desired height then prune when necessary to maintain neatness and size.
By pruning regularly you avoid cutting into thick stems resulting in the appearance
of woody ends in the hedge. To
prune, select sharp hedging shears, secateurs or electric hedge trimmers.
A stringline may assist you keeping your hedge level, just stake either
ends of the hedge and run the string line at the desired height and secure to
the stake. For a more rounded look
for your hedge, try using the shears on an angle.
Maintenance
– water the new plants well and fertilize with a slow release fertilizer.
Mulch well to keep moisture in the soil and weeds away.
Plant
selection – not all plants hedge well.
Choose bushy shrubs that respond well to pruning.
We have listed below a selection of suitable plants and pictures: -
| 
Photinia spp |
Westringia spp |
