Grow A Living Fence
(Page 2 of 5)
December 2007/January 2008
By Jeff Ball
The first decision in building your own hedgerow is location. To block winter winds, find out the direction of your area’s prevailing breezes and plan accordingly. Also be sure the drainage in your chosen spot is conducive to the plant species you select.
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The width of your planting is also an important consideration. Traditional hedgerows are about 20 feet wide, though you still reap benefits if yours is only 10 or 12 feet wide. (For rural applications, hedgerows up to 100 feet wide may be more suitable for wind protection.) Consider collaborating with the neighbors on the other side of your planned hedgerow. If they take 10 feet and you take 10 feet, you have the ideal 20 feet, plus partners in the project.
If you have a choice, fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. However, spring planting will work almost as well. The hedgerow is a permanent installation, so soil preparation in the beginning is the only chance you have to easily amend it. For best results, till the hedgerow area while simultaneously working in an inch or so of compost. You want to start off with nutrients for the soil food web at the get go. Those worms and microbes are critical to having healthy plants through the years.
After working the organic matter into the soil, cover the entire hedgerow area with a 3- to 4-inch layer of straw or coarse wood chips. This material should hold back the majority of weeds while you’re in the early stages of planting. Some landscapers will give you a free truckload of wood chips if you ask. Then place your plants in the mulch, leaving the soil covered so beneficial earthworms have a steady lunch.
Choosing Hedgerow Plants
What makes a hedgerow unique is the variety of plants that can be included. Many plants grow underneath taller plants, increasing the density and diversity of the total hedgerow. Placing trees and shrubs of different sizes and shapes is fun — like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
Choose the best plants for your area. Whether it is trees, shrubs or perennials, the first priority in plant selection is finding a species that’s hardy in your region and will grow well in the site you’ve chosen. Also include some plants to attract birds and other wildlife, those with edible and medicinal value, as well as those that offer visual interest during each season.
Consider mature size. Before planting, it’s crucial to know how tall and wide each plant will become when it’s mature. Pay attention to the variety of shapes the trees and shrubs will acquire as they mature. Then you can determine how much space under the plants can be filled in with other plants — shrubs planted under trees for example, or perennials and groundcovers under the shrubs.
Research native plants. Try to find as many native plants for your hedgerow as possible. Exotic trees and shrubs may grow just fine, but they may not attract the variety of beneficial insects, butterflies and birds brought in by the native types. For example, the flowering dogwood is home to more than 35 species of birds, plus 20 species of ants, spiders and ground beetles. The imported Kousa dogwood is a reliable tree with gorgeous blossoms, but will not attract near the number of birds and bugs as the flowering dogwood.
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