The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: Helencus on January 03, 2011, 07:20:53 pm
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I need a quick growing hedge as a border to a stream along my field. Can't be poisonous to horses and needs to be evergreen. What would you go for as I suspect leylandi would cause complaints from planners ( can they even complain tho?)
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I thought anything evergreen should be regarded as poisonous? How about a beech hedge, that greens up in summer but keeps its brown leaves through winter.You could interplant with thorn shrubs which are quick growing if you require a quicker barrier
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Willow is one of the quickest growing trees you can get (not evergreen though :(), and they love wetter conditions. You could lay the trees into a hedge quite easily and once you get the size/height you want just keep trimmimg it back (handy if you've got a wood burner ;) or want to sell/give away willow cuttings) If you want some just let me know - I can post some cuttings to you (allow 1 per foot)
Take care,
Karen x
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Is it? I can keep the horses away from it just prefer not to take chances so I know laurel is out. I need something that's going to grow rapidly to give us privacy I planted a native hedge last year and it's not really taken off at all.
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In my experience fast growing or slow growing they take a few years to establish, then your fast growing really cause a problem as they need constant maintenance.
A good evergreen hedge would be holly. As usual it is slow to start, but once established is fairly quick to grow and gives a nice looking evergreen hedge which is no problem to animals.
Don't forget that any young hedging plants will need protection from things that will eat them - for example, rabbits, sheep, cattle, horses etc etc. And also may need weeding out to prevent being overshadowed by weeds.
All the best
Sue
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Thanks Karen There are 6 very old willow trees along there but they're massive and protected so can't touch them. I read about willow screens and thought about this but the river is an sssi would the EA object do you think?
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willow is one of the easiest trees to grow in spring cut the shoots of the branches push in the ground and they grow simple
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So if I attack under cover of darkness as they're protected how big should I cut the shoots ?
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Griselinia is an evergreen - grows reasonable fast - very hardy for windy areas, makes good windbreak - not sure if okay for all animals - though the cows next door to our old house ate it with out any dire results. Did save us cutting it on that side ;D
If you can start with 12" - 18" plants it will grow about 12" in a year - plant every 2' - be cruel and top every year so that it branches out and doesn't just grow up leggy. Ours grew to 6' in 5 years, but we did keep it trimed twice a year. It will grow from cutting - stick a whole load in the ground/pot leave for a year and they will have rooted.
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just the twigs if there is other willow trees of a different variety that you like cut them for planting it is just coopposing
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Chop off some long thin twigs Helen - no thicker than your finger, then chop them into 8 inch lengths and as Lillian says, just chuck 'em in the ground. As long as the cuts are neat they should all take without problems. If you're unsure plant 2 per foot and pull out the excess once you know how many have taken ;)
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in good soil they will grow 3ft easy
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Cheers both when the weather warms up I'll have a go. Cheaper than buying an evergreen hedge .
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As long as you do it before the sap starts rising (and wee green buds form) they'll get off to a flying start !
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I can corroborate that - got willow pencils from Karen last year and they've nearly all taken. Some are over 3 ft already! ;D
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We planted willow about 2ft stems last spring and they are 8-10ft now. Marvellous esp near water. Can't see an SSSI problem.
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we planted hundreds of willows and poplars last year, poplars are now 5ft high, planted them close together to make a hedge. the willows arent far behind in height. the ones that were planted through black plastic (which was weighed down with manure) are 3 x the height of the ones that were put straight into ground.
unfortunately a pony leant over fence and ate a few of the poplars down quite low so im hoping they will regrow.
we used bowhayes and were happy with them but u cud prob get cheaper. also someone recommended alder for wet areas, though never tried that one.
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Thanks I've seen the willow and poplar screens advertised. Will need a lot but would be airtight to have some privacy.
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Saw an article suggesting using lots of willows to build an arbour in the garden. In ten years these wispy wands will be chunky trees. Is willow going to be the next Leylandii problem?
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Saw an article suggesting using lots of willows to build an arbour in the garden. In ten years these wispy wands will be chunky trees. Is willow going to be the next Leylandii problem?
Does anyone know if Leylandii just keep on growing or do they have a maximum height? I have an avenue of them here. Planted two years after the house was built I'm told. I planted some Willow last year, so I do hope you're wrong ;) ;D
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I found this pic
Our predecessor planted lots and lots about 12 years ago. We get three blokes in for two days each year to trim them down to 3m high and they do break wind well (ahem). One is by itself as a tree and is about 7m high now
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willow is good for horses as well, have i look what varieties, i planted white willow last year in our old house for the horses, i will be planting the same this year in our new house, gosh it goes quick, and if you plait it it makes a cracking thick wind break :wave:
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I found this pic
Our predecessor planted lots and lots about 12 years ago. We get three blokes in for two days each year to trim them down to 3m high and they do break wind well (ahem). One is by itself as a tree and is about 7m high now
Mine are 20 years old and 40 feet high ( hmm 12 metres?) They can stop growing now thank you. ::)
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my daughters school has willow structures,tunnels and fences, planted and created instantly, they get people in to prune and tidy them but dont seem out of control or growing too thick. iv seen mature poplars that have really thick trunks but to make hedge iv (as advised) planted them 3 ft apart so i presume they will only grow to the space provided? (like goldfish lol) otherwise their trunks would be touching. mature willows on my farm (15 years) have tended to have mulitiple shoots at base as opposed to be overheight.
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does anyone know how to plant gorse? i want it to grow down the fence line, took cuttings and put in ground like u would for willows etc but never grew. wev loads growing in wrong place so if i could transplant it for nothing it wud be great.
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I think willow definately makes sense. Thanks all.
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does anyone know how to plant gorse?
Using big thick padded gloves? ;D