Growing a box hedge

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princeperch

Original Poster:

7,911 posts

246 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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This is what my gaff looks like. Ideally I want to retain the brick wall at the front, remove the small metal fence thing that's in the picture, and put a box hedge of some sort there, say about 40cm-50cm high or so.

I am getting very confused and quite alarmed at the options and prices.

I'm happy to grow it in the back garden until it's ready to go out the front with a bare root plant but it's not clear at all how long that will take.

This is the sort of thing Im looking at

http://www.waitrosegarden.com/plants/_/buxus-sempe...



Otherwise it looks like I'm facing shelling out 300 quid or so for something already grown - which is probably fair enough but I don't want to spend that kind of money at the moment.

So, if I go for these cheaper bareroot type deals - how long am I looking at until it actually becomes a hedge ?!






Edited by princeperch on Monday 30th March 20:21

Spare tyre

9,458 posts

129 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
I reckon hang a long planter on in property side of the wall and plant a bunch of buxus bush along it. The top of the planter level with the flat but of your wall if that makes sense

You could probably even keep the railings and eventually they would disappear into it

Funnily enough my mum bought some buxus little shoots last year for 70p from b and q and today I saw them and I could believe how much it had come along

I reckon this could work for you


Ps I have no idea what I'm talking about

Something like this in smaller quantities

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=...



Edited by Spare tyre on Monday 30th March 20:29

vxsmithers

716 posts

199 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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my privet hedge has grown maybe 3 to 4 inches in 4 years between trims. It was already a mature hedge though which may slow growth rate?

How about a quick fix of young plants in a trough raised on bricks behind the wall? drop it down a brick every year until it is the right height (this may be a terrible idea, I have no idea!

smile

Edit: Very similar to spare tyre's idea, so maybe not so stupid!

Mr GrimNasty

8,172 posts

169 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
Avoid box, the blight is rife now, it'll all die sooner or later.

Yew, Ilex Crenata, Lonicera Nitida, various Cotoneasters etc. All dirt cheap at reasonable sizes.

SPR2

3,182 posts

195 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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How about Photenia. One or two nice hedges of that round our village.

Mr GrimNasty

8,172 posts

169 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
I think he wants it kept at 50cm! So dense small leaved stuff that can be kept small but will also regenerate nicely if it needs to be hacked back hard is required.

RichB

51,433 posts

283 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
That Victorian terrace simply needs a privet hedge to set it off nicely. Cheap, quick growing and resistant to disease. Don't bother with box, as has been said, waste of time for that application.

sak83

97 posts

188 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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I planted a bare root box hedge in November last year and now regret it, as mentioned box blight is quite common and not worth the the risk especially as it's slow growing. By the time you wait for it to grow to a suitable height box blight could affect your plants. I don't have experience of them but my reading suggests lonicera or privet as alternatives. I would sway towards privet as it's quick growing, leave the railing and have it growing level

Dr Mike Oxgreen

4,101 posts

164 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
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Something compact, with small leaves, evergreen, and undemanding.

Ceanothus "skylark".

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

It's my favourite plant for a small-ish hedge. Dense growth with nice small, glossy dark green leaves, and with the bonus of masses of tiny blue flowers in May or early June. Bees go mental over it when it's in flower.

It can be cut back to keep it small - though avoid cutting it back really hard because it may be reluctant to regenerate from old wood. So do it regularly rather than once every five years! (And cut it back after flowering, otherwise you'll miss out on them.)

I've just planted 15 of these to form a hedge between us and the neighbours' new driveway. Bought from mailordertrees.co.uk for a very reasonable £5.99 each. It'll take a couple of years for a proper hedge to start forming, but it's going to look great. Its growth rate is just right: not too slow, but not hugely fast either.

Edited to add: piccy



RIP Muffin. frown

There are lots of other varieties of Ceanothus, but "skylark" is the best IMHO - other Ceanothus have rather dull leaves, but "skylark" has lovely glossy, vibrant green leaves.

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Tuesday 31st March 08:30

princeperch

Original Poster:

7,911 posts

246 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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Thanks chaps. Privet hedge it is..

Mr GrimNasty

8,172 posts

169 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
There's a disease(s) doing the rounds affecting Privet too, I'm seeing a lot of very mature Privet hedges having to be hacked out, not been picked up by the media like box blight yet, but it will be. Up to you.

princeperch

Original Poster:

7,911 posts

246 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Well I've taken a punt on a cheap listing on ebay

15 evergreen privet plants 3-4 ft tall - 22 quid including postage.

Cheap enough that if I balls them up or they get a disease I can start again..

princeperch

Original Poster:

7,911 posts

246 months

Monday 19th October 2015
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I was thinking only the other day how well the hedge is coming on now, especially as it was a bare root hedge only 6 months ago.

all for 45 odd quid!

Simpo Two

85,149 posts

264 months

Monday 19th October 2015
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Well done - nice to see an 'after' photo. Don't forget to keep it properly pruned/layered etc.

I'd have lost the ugly wall and gone for 100% hedge though.

Mr GrimNasty

8,172 posts

169 months

Monday 19th October 2015
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It needs chopping back hard in the spring, I know it seems a shame, but you have to play the long game with hedges.

Dr Mike Oxgreen

4,101 posts

164 months

Monday 19th October 2015
quotequote all
Yes, don't be tempted to let it grow quickly up to the height you want - keep cutting it back so that you get nice dense growth, otherwise you'll have a rather thin hedge.


Edited to add: I still think you'd have been better off with Ceanothus 'skylark'. smile

princeperch

Original Poster:

7,911 posts

246 months

Monday 19th October 2015
quotequote all
I've trimmed it back a few times and it's starting to bush up nicely

It's at about the height I want it at





(Hope it's the right way up when uploaded)

Have to say I'm really pleased with it. Saw some old boy who lives in our road having a good look at it the other day early in the morning and a few of the neighbours have said how nice the front garden is looking.