Posted: Wed Aug 30, 06 11:37 am Post subject: Hedges again
Got another 500mtrs of hedging to do this winter, this is alongside the orchard planting, which means that we can't use hawthorn or crab apples (disease issues) so I'm looking at:
50% hornbeam
25% holly
plus spindle, hazel, and cherry plum.
I've gone for hornbeam and hazel as theyu seem to be really healthy in our existing hedgerow, any thoughts anyone?
Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Posts: 8407 Location: South Cornwall
Posted: Wed Aug 30, 06 12:17 pm Post subject:
Holly is very slow growing as a young plant & will probably be cost restrictive to plant larger pot grown plants. To establish in a hedge they would need to be well branched 3-4 feet high. Beech makes a good hedge. Gorse will grow anywhere. Lovely scent to the flowers.
"Habitat Chalk downs in S. England but only where there is least sunshine and most rain, heaths, moors, pine and birch woods in the north of Scotland on acid peat, often dominant on chalk, limestone and slate."
Doesn't sound too promising.
Tavascarow
Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Posts: 8407 Location: South Cornwall
Posted: Wed Aug 30, 06 12:43 pm Post subject:
The holly would hold its own but would probably take 20 years to become efective as a hedge. If you have a polytunnel & a cheap source of young plants, pot them up in 4 litre pots & grow on in the tunnel for a couple of years. They will put on a foot to 18" in one year.
Out doors you will be lucky to get 6" of growth on a young plant.
The holly would hold its own but would probably take 20 years to become efective as a hedge. If you have a polytunnel & a cheap source of young plants, pot them up in 4 litre pots & grow on in the tunnel for a couple of years. They will put on a foot to 18" in one year.
Out doors you will be lucky to get 6" of growth on a young plant.
Hopefully the body (especially if I incorporate field maple) will be filled quite quickly, so slow growth is OK, as long as it does keep making some growth. I'd probably reduce the amount of holly to somewhere nearer 10% in view of your comments then.
"Habitat Chalk downs in S. England but only where there is least sunshine and most rain, heaths, moors, pine and birch woods in the north of Scotland on acid peat, often dominant on chalk, limestone and slate."
Doesn't sound too promising.
Too dry then... Shame. Unless, of course, its a hedge going across one of the wet patches, then it could be worth a punt.
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