by Quentin Vargas
You should know some basics before you plant hedges in your yard. Several questions you need to ask yourself about what you want your hedge to do, how much maintenance you would like to put into it, and what hedge is suitable for your planting zone. What soil do you have and what will grow best in your area. You also need to discover what shrubs will grow best with the sun they will get. Some shrubs are better suited for full sun; others can be used in partial shade. You need to analyze where your hedge will be, what you want the hedge to do and be sure you choose carefully. Hedge plants are long-lived and some hedges will last for decades or longer.
The soil for your hedgerow should be well prepared and marked. This will be a long-term investment both in money and energy, so planning is a big part. Your soil should be well drained. If it isn't, then drainage coils or tiles should be installed to let the moisture drain around your hedge.
There’s such divinity doth hedge a king
That treason can but peep to what it would,
Acts little of his will.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
Plant in double rows and staggered for better coverage and quicker growing time. Don't overcrowd your plants. Overcrowded plants produce the same amount of top growth between them. You can plant more thinly with fewer plants giving the same amount of coverage. Overcrowding also causes a build-up of deadwood around the bottom of your shrubs.
Use a garden line to set up your hedges. Using the "eyeball" measure just doesn't result in having good hedge lines. It's preferable if you dig a trench rather than individual holes, so you can keep the plants at the same depth. After your trench has been dug, lay out your plants where they need to go so you are sure they will be equally spaced. Plant spacing is important and will vary with the hedge you want and what purpose it is for. Small, formal hedges need the plants to be spaced between 6-8 inches apart. Larger free-flowing shrubs should be planted between 18-30 inches apart and larger trees to be used for windscreens should be spaced about six feet apart.
After planting, you should use a good fertilizer with natural compost. Water well, and keep watered especially through dry spells for at least a year. To keep the moisture around the plants, place wood bark mulch around them. As they grow, and the mulch begins to rot, there isn't any need to replace it. The mulch is mostly used for keeping the moisture around the plants when they are young and tender.
I am packing my belongings in the shawl my mother used to wear when she went to the market. And I am going from my valley. But this time I shall never return. I am leaving behind me my 50 years of memory—memory. Strange that the mind will forget so much of what only this moment has passed and yet hold clear and bright the memory of what happened years ago of men and women long since dead. Yet who shall say what is real and what is not. Can I believe this all gone when their voices are still a glory in my ears. No. And I will stand to say no and no again, for they remain within my mind. There is no fence nor hedge around time that is gone. You can go back and have what you like of it, if you can remember. So I can go close my eyes on my valley as it is today and it is gone. And I see it as it was when I was a boy—green it was and possessed of the plenty of the earth. In all Wales there was none so beautiful.
—Philip Dunne (1908–1992)
Planting should be done in late autumn and winter. Important items to remember, small plants establish quickly, and colorful hedges make a design statement. Remember, you have to live with these plants for a longtime, be sure that a stark green hedge is what you want, or a hedge that is constantly changing colors. You may tire of the hedges that are different colors, so think of your choices before you buy the plants for your hedge.
Something else to consider is if you want a formal or more informal look in your landscape. Different shrubs are better for hedges that are more formal and need to be trimmed more often to keep them looking neat. Regular weeding will encourage good growth in the early years and will decrease competition for moisture and nutrients in the soil. Your hedge will be greedy; it will need plenty of nutrients so your local nursery can recommend a general all-purpose fertilizer. Be sure to not overfeed, or scorch the stem or roots of your shrubs and read the labels on the fertilizer containers carefully before using.
With proper care and pruning, a hedge can be a wonderful asset to your landscape. Don't allow them to get too tall before trimming. One of the biggest mistakes you can make with your hedge is to let it grow too tall before trimming. If this happens, you need to trim in stages so your hedges will remain healthy. When plants are allowed to grow too tall, it causes the bottom to be shaded out. It becomes weak with leggy sprigs growing in complete disorder. As a rule, you should prune back six inches every time the hedge has grown 12 inches.