How to Ensure Hedges Don't Hog your Landscape

Articles on Hedges | Topics: hedges, hedge, bushes, bush

by Braiden Zimmerman

Hedges are the perfect solution for someone who would rather add privacy to their home in a beautiful way than install an unattractive fence. They offer benefits such as durability, protection, and also entice wildlife to your area. They are extremely easy to maintain, in most cases. In some cases however, a hedge can be quite a pain. The source of frustration in most cases does not lie as much with the hedge as it does with the person who chose and planted it. When you decide to add a hedge to your property, there are certain things that you must think about before doing so. If you simply purchase a hedge that you think will work in the area, without researching the species, you could end up with a headache trying to take care of it. So, before adding a hedge to your property, make sure you choose the right type. Otherwise, the hedge may completely take over your entire landscape area.

The first thing to consider is what size hedge you can use. If you have a small area in your garden in which you think a hedge would be appropriate, be sure to choose a smaller hedge. Research the species that would work best in the area. Consider things like amount of sunlight and width when choosing. Ask your local expert about a particular species and explain to them where you are planning to place it. If you choose a hedge that is too large for the area, it will likely smother out all other plants around it. The way this works is that the roots of the hedge like to sprawl out underground. If the roots sprawl too far, they can deprive other plants around it from natural elements like water.

The roots of a hedge are something to pay attention to in general. Since they do sprawl underground, you may want to avoid putting them too close to a walkway or concrete area. They can grow beneath these things and cause the paths to crack. This can be costly when looking at replacement and repair. Make sure the location in which you are planting your hedge is free from any potential pathways. This is the best way to ensure the hedge will not cause a problem and take over your walk areas.

аQuote of the Day

The partridge and the rabbit are still sure to thrive, like true natives of the soil, whatever revolutions occur. If the forest is cut off, the sprouts and bushes which spring up afford them concealment, and they become more numerous than ever. That must be a poor country indeed that does not support a hare. Our woods teem with them both.

—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

When a root system sprawls, the hedge tends to get wider. When planting, consider that your hedge will not only grow in height, but also in width. Don't plant your hedge close to a road, neighbor's home, or a pathway. This can cause problems with your neighbors or even the local authority. If you do choose to ignore this warning and plant your hedge close to a boundary, be sure to maintain the hedge as necessary. You will need to have free time to prune and shape the hedge to avoid any problems.

The best way to ensure the hedge does not damage any other area of your landscape is to plant it away from everything else. You can plant the hedge separately and watch it grow for a few years. Later, when the hedge is at maturity, you can add other plants around it. This will allow you to know exactly where it is safe to add things. If you don't wait until the hedge is mature, you will likely plant something in an unsafe area. Planting the hedge away from everything will also ensure that the hedge will not harm the structure of your home or block necessary light.

Although it may seem that hedges are difficult to deal with, the opposite is true. They are very easy to deal with, as long as you follow a few basic rules. The responsibility lies on each planter to research their particular species and choose the most appropriate location for it. The hedge will be predictable and likely grow just as the research notes. If you know this information beforehand, you can prevent the hedge from taking over and causing problems with other elements of your property. So, before planting any type of hedge on your property, be sure that you are choosing the best species available as well as choosing the best planting location. Maintain your hedges as necessary with pruning if they seem to be getting out of hand.

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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "How to Ensure Hedges Don't Hog your Landscape" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by FlowersPlantsGardening.com.

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