Hedge Planting, How To:

Hedging can serve many purposes.  They can act as a living fence, blocking neighbors and street traffic.  They can also create a sound barrier, act as a windbreak, and catch drifting snow.  Perhaps you only want to mark property lines, or emphasize a focal point in your garden.  Whatever your reasons, the steps below will help you establish your hedge planting.  NOTE:  Before starting any landscape project determine if there are any state and local restrictions that must be followed.

Analyze your site:

How tall do you want your hedges to grow?  Overall height will impact your plant choices. 

How much space do you have?  Look at both length and width.  If space is tight, you will be more limited, but, with proper pruning, many shrubs can be formed into a living wall.  Larger spaces have more options, including, double or triple row hedging.  Multiple row hedges fill in more rapidly, offer additional privacy and improve sound reduction. 

Determine the amount of light the site receives daily.  Plants have different requirements, some requiring full sun, while others need shade.  Keep the following in mind when choosing your plants:

• Full sun = 6 + hours of direct sun
• Part shade/sun = 3-6 hours of direct sun
• Shade = 3 hours or less of direct sun

Assess your soil conditions.   Is your soil clay, loam, or sand?  Does your soil hold moisture or is it on the dry side?  These conditions will determine what plants will thrive, and those not suited, for your site.  Heavy clay or sandy soils will benefit from a two to three inch layer of organic matter, such as compost or leaf mold.

Choosing Plants:

Select plants that meet your needs.  Use pest and disease resistant varieties that are suited to your climate and soil conditions.

When choosing plants, make sure you know the mature plant size.  This information can be found on plant tags.  Mature plant size will govern how many are needed to fill the space.  To determine the number of plants you need, use the following formula:   

[Garden bed width ÷ mature plant width = number of plants needed]

For example, if your garden space is 30 feet wide and the mature plant width is 5 feet, the number of plants needed to fill the space is 6 (30÷5=6). 

Initially your new garden bed will not be wall to wall greenery, you are purchasing young plants, give them time to grow.   

If you are in a hurry, shrubs can be placed closer together.  Just be careful, shrubs planted cheek-to-cheek will not thrive, as they will compete for water and nutrients.  To avoid root crowding, plant your shrubs at least 12 to 24 inches apart, measuring from the center of the plant.

Popular shrubs for a formal hedge or living wall include:  arborvitae, boxwood, hemlock, holly, privet, and yew.

For a more relaxed or loose hedge consider the following:  arctic blue willow, azalea, barberry, clethra, fothergilla, hydrangea, juniper, pieris, rhododendron, rose of sharon, shrub roses, smokebush, spirea, sweetspire, and viburnum.

Planting your hedge:

• Mark out your planting area using flags or paint.
• If planting in a row, use stakes and a string to ensure you have a straight line.
• With plants still in their pots, set them in the desired locations. Space plants based on their mature width. 
• Remove plants from their pots and set in the ground using proper planting techniques. 
• Water well. 
• Cover the area with a 2-3 inch layer of mulch to control weeds and retain moisture.

Maintenance:

• For the first growing season, water weekly, watering more often if it is hot and dry. 
• Formal hedging and living walls will require pruning in late winter or early spring for the first two years after planting.  After this, maintenance pruning is suggested once or twice a year. 

                            Happy Planting!