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Aside from offering a brilliant level of privacy and security, gardeners choose to plant hedges for a wide range of reasons. From offering local wildlife a place to nest and finding food to provide shelter from high winds or to enhance the natural beauty of a garden. Hedges have their many purposes and benefits.
Planting hedges requires the right amount of care and attention. Planting your new hedge at the right time is imperative for ensuring it gets the right amount of moisture, light, and nutrients it requires to grow into a dense and healthy hedge. November is the recommended month for planting a hedge and beginning its growth.
What November can offer gardeners attempting to grow a new hedge
November is the best month to plant a hedge for a number of reasons, some of these being:
- The weather is cool and moist. This is ideal for planting hedging plants, as they will have time to establish their roots before the hot, dry summer months.
- The soil is still warm from the summer. This helps to promote root growth and development. Whilst not being dried out by temperatures that are too hot.
- The plants are dormant. This means that they are less likely to be stressed by the planting process.
- There is less chance of pests and diseases. This is because most pests and diseases are less active in the cooler weather.
In addition, November is a good time to plant a hedge because there is often a wider selection of hedging plants available at nurseries and garden centres. This can be for a number of reasons, but one of those being to simply prepare for the winter season, with great offers and discounts on plants, shrubs, trees and hedging.
Tips for growing a hedge
If you are planning to grow a hedge, these tips will help you to ensure that you prepare the area properly for the hedging and nurture it well to maintain proper, quality hedge growth.
- Prepare the ground by digging it over and removing any weeds or stones.
- Add some compost or manure to the soil to improve its drainage and fertility.
- Plant the hedging plants at the recommended spacing for the variety you have chosen.
- Water the plants well after planting.
- Mulch around the plants with a layer of bark chippings or compost to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
What’s most important though, is giving the hedging the time and attention it requires to grow to the height, width and density you desire. Once your hedging has started to grow nicely, you can proceed with pruning and trimming, which will continue to help maintain the growth of the hedge and keep it looking its best.
Check out these related articles if you are looking for planting advice:
Plants for Your Garden That Are Not Only Beautiful, but Also Valuable for Health
Bushes That Attract Butterflies In The UK
How to Grow Your Own Food: Tips From Vikki Gerrard La Crosse for Beginner Homesteaders