New Hedge

 

During the months of November and December 2010 we had a very cold spell with temperatures continuously well below freezing for several weeks and at one time it stayed below -15°C for almost a week dropping below 20°C at night.

 

See the Winter page for pictures

 

Most parts of the country had heavy snow but we only had a light 2cm sprinkling until the end of this cold snap which meant that everything was covered in hoar frost with no insulation from the snow. This particularly affected the trees and shrubs and several died. It also killed the whole of the back (south side) of the cypress hedge running down the drive and parts of the front as well. I was particularly proud of this hedge having grown it from cuttings (Leylandii) and seedlings (Lawsonii) in the 1970s. However, some of it was beginning die back after constant trimming over the years trying to stop it overgrowing the drive so maybe it was time to replace it anyway.

 

I hoped that maybe it would recover during the spring and summer but it stayed dead, brown and lifeless so, when the autumn came we decided to replace it with a new hedge, this time choosing privet, which should be easier to look after as we get older. Cypress hedges only need cutting once a year but they are difficult to manage, especially the top which grows very fast and often needs a saw to keep it in shape. Privet needs cutting twice a year but it has much thinner stems and can be cut entirely with a hedge trimmer. It is also hardier than cypress.

 

The plan is to cut out the back of the old hedge (it consists of two rows with a full width of around 130cm) and plant a double width privet hedge behind it. When this has grown to a reasonable height of 180cm or so we will cut down the other half of the cypress hedge.

 

The whole hedge is around 60m long and contains around 100 individual plants, some of which have stems over 15cm wide and are around 2m high. At the road end of the hedge some of these  have grown into trees up to 10m high with 20-25cm trunks. One, which I have never tried to restrain its growth, is one of the largest trees in the garden with a 40cm trunk and this I will leave. So a lot of work will be required to cut and remove these but the bonus will be plenty of twigs and small branches to shred into compost and mulcn and enough wood to last more than one winter. When we cut the other half of the hedge in 2 or 3 years time we shall get nearly as much wood again for more winter fuel.
Hoar Frost in November 2010
This may look beautiful but it also damages both trees and shrubs. Its weight breaks branches and its cold can kill the more vulnerable shrubs and hedges, including cypress.
Damaged Hedge
This shows the damage to the drive side of the hedge. the back was considerably worse than this.
Cutting out the back of the hedge
The first job is to cut out the back of the hedge leaving just the part facing the drive. This will protect the new hedge while it grows
Removing and stacking the wood
It was only when we cut down what were in some cases small trees from the hedge that we realised how much wood there was. Even after trimming it is stacked in every spare space near to the wood shed
Digging the trench
Next job is to dig a trench 90cm wide, 20-30cm deep and 60m long. Full of roots and stumps so no easy task.
The Hedge plants arrive
This is what 250 2 year privet plants look like. It is difficult to believe these will make a 50metre double thickness hedge!! The packets of Rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi are supposed to help the hedge to establish more quickly. We shall see
Planting the Hedge
Using a long batten marked every 200mm we placed 150cm canes 5 to the metre in a double zigzag row. Then we tied each plant to a cane. The canes will be removed next year. In front of the row were scattered daffodil bulbs taken from elsewhere in the garden. Finally the Rootgrow was sprinkled 5g (half a scoop) onto each root system. This worked out as 1 packet for 34 plants; far less than we estimated (I bought 10 packets) but it can be sued elsewhere and keeps for years if unopened.
Backfilling and Mulching
Holding the cane upright with the hedge plant attached makes backfilling a lot easier though it is still a two person job. Finally after the soil had settled for a few days the whole area was covered with composted chippings, around 20 barrow loads in total!. We also had some spare bluebell bulbs which I planted in another trench further in front of the main part of the hedge. Now to wait for Spring to see the result!