5 Best Hedge Plants for your Garden

A hedge is a plant-based living wall. Some hedges are purely decorative, while others serve a functional purpose. Hedge plants for decoration are either evergreen or deciduous shrubs and require frequent trimming to precise sizes and shapes. Shrub owners may use them for practical security purposes, and must grow them densely while choosing a type with thorns, such as hawthorns, or prickly leaves, such as English Holly. Hedge owners may also use them for privacy and windbreaks, and taller shrubs serve these two purposes.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR EVERGREEN HEDGE PLANTS TO GROW?

If you choose an evergreen hedge, it does not grow in a day or a week. It's a long process that will most likely take several years to complete. Growing hedge bushes takes anywhere from two to five years on average.

The time it takes hedge plants to grow depends on a few key factors. First, you must select the appropriate plant type as the appearance of ornamental shrubs for hedging varies with their different requirements and conditions, resulting in different growing times.

The way you care for the plants is also important. You can expect a much better result if you pay attention to your hedge bushes, feed them on a regular basis, and trim the branches according to professional guidelines.

HOW TO PRUNE HEDGE PLANTS?

Fast-growing hedges, like any other hedge, require routine maintenance. It primarily involves trimming and shaping in order to make the hedge bushes look uniform and prevent them from spreading.

You require large classic handheld shears to cut hedge plants. If the shrubs are still small and the branches are green and soft, a standard trimmer will suffice.

Evening and forming hedge bushes takes time, especially if they grow around a large property. It's no surprise that many people abandon handheld tools, as electric shears are the better alternative because they are easier to use and do the job much faster.

1. LAUREL

The Laurel family contains many plants, but one of the best for hedging is the Cherry Laurel. It is an excellent screening plant because it is evergreen and has neat, glossy, rounded leaves that form a dense screen. This can help with noise reduction and also serves as a good wind break.

It is a maintenance plant and has the ability to grow in both full sun and shady areas. It only requires a trim once a year, in late winter or early spring. It's also one of the best fast-growing hedges, with a growth rate of 12-24in (30-60cm) per year and a final height of 16ft (5m).

2. BAMBOO

Bamboo is an excellent choice for one of the best hedging plants for a modern garden. The upright canes with their elegant, rustling foliage create the ideal informal boundary, and they will grow to about 30in (75cm) in a year.

The disadvantage of these towering plants is that they can be invasive, invading neighboring gardens. You may counteract this by choosing a less thuggish bamboo, such as Phyllostachys Viridiglaucescens, or an umbrella variety, such as Fargesia murielae.

Plant them in rich soil in the spring or summer and water them well. If the bamboo grows too tall, it can withstand severe pruning, so you may remove the old canes in the spring. They can grow up to 16ft (5m) tall, allowing them to create a highly effective screening barrier.

3. TAXUS BACCATA

The dark foliage is compact and requires one clipping a year. You can keep it small or grow it to a height of 10m or more.

4. "GOLD SPLASH" EUONYMUS FORTUNEI

This is a small, evergreen shrub that can grow up to two feet tall. It has small, dark green leaves that are gold and cream in color. In the early spring, the plant produces small white flowers, which feature red berries in the fall.

It grows slowly and you can trim it easily to a shape, which makes it an ideal plant for small hedges. It is also drought tolerant and can grow in full sun or partial shade.

Gold Splash is tough and adaptable, easily transitioning from the sun to shade. It doesn't require much water and can thrive in most soil types if you drain them well.

5. CHOISYA

Choisya, or the Mexican Orange, is another excellent low-maintenance hedge plant. It grows in most well-drained soil types and climates and does not require any assistance to improve ground conditions.

Choisya is a drought-tolerant shrub with thin, glossy green leaves and aromatic spring blooms that return in the fall. It grows to between 5-6.5 feet tall in the UK and reaches 7-10 in the US. (Why? Can you provide more information on this?)

This small hedge plant is ideal for those who want a low-maintenance garden. It can also tolerate full sun or partial shade and drought.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. When should you plant a hedge?

The best time to plant a hedge is between autumn and late winter, except for when the ground is frozen or flooded. From November to March, deciduous hedging plants and smaller 'whips' are available for sale as 'bare root hedging,' which means they come with no soil and resemble bundles of sticks. Because bare root plants are much cheaper than pot-grown specimens, this is a very cost-effective way to create a hedge.

2. How far apart do you plant hedge plants?

It is important to space hedge plants uniformly. The ideal distance is 30% of the desired height of the hedge plant. For example, if your plant should be ideally 50 cm tall. The spacing should be 15 cm.

3. How long do hedge plants last?

On average, hedge plants last around 30 years. But, there are certain plants that last nearly 150 years. So, a lot it depends on the plant you choose.

WRAPPING UP

We believe the above-listed plants are a good choice for you to get started with your hedge. Maintaining and caring for your hedge plants is key. To figure out what your plant exactly needs, you can use the Flora Pod Sensor. This plant-based technology will help you in raising happy, healthy plant babies. The Flora App has exciting features like watering reminders, placement suggestions, moisture and humidity tips, lighting recommendations, and so much more.