A great hedge can help erect a green, beautiful barrier between your property and the outside world. It also raises the resale value of your property, adds more shade and gives you a chance to express your creativity. Generally speaking, this is the form of shrubbery that requires little active effort to maintain and it creates huge returns.
Still, there are several things that each homeowner who plans to enrich their backyard with a beautiful hedge should know about. Here are the top six hedge care tips that you need to learn about in order to make your backyard mesmerizingly beautiful.
1. Frost and wind
Hedges are by no means counted under sensitive plants, yet, frost and wind are a serious threat to them, as well. The biggest threat for your hedge is the fact that the ground around the hedge might break, which, coupled with strong wind, may root out some portions of the hedge.
To fight this, you should ensure that these roots are deep in the ground, as well as that the soil retains a tad warmer temperature. A raised bed or mulch can help with this quite a bit. Also, after windy days, inspect the hedge and replant any area that seems problematic.
2. The right time to prune
Pruning is an essential task in giving your hedge a shape and keeping it healthy by removing parts that are starting to show signs of decay. However, you need to know when to prune and how frequently you should prune in order not to cause more harm than good.
Generally speaking, the best time to prune is right after flowering. If the plant is to be renovated or reduced, it’s best to do so in the late winter (just before the growth). With hedge, this is generally a good idea.
3. Storing equipment
The right landscaping equipment is key to keeping your backyard beautiful and orderly. Without right sheers and trimmer, there’s no mention of proper pruning and pruning is crucial for a beautiful and healthy hedge. Ideally, you would buy quality tools from reliable suppliers like Hoselink but what happens next.
If you don’t keep your tools safe, the metal parts will get rusty, hoses will develop punctures and some elements might become mouldy. Ideally, you would have a shed but even a decent strongbox can help provide a solution.
4. Check for nesting animals
One more thing worth considering is a chance that there are some animal nests in your hedge. Now, while the hedge is covered with leaves, this won’t be easy to notice. However, it’s quite possible that you have aphids, spider mites, winter moth caterpillars, vine weevil and scale insects nesting in your hedge. Some of these pests carry particularly nasty diseases, which is why you need to look out for them and work towards their eradication, as soon as you notice their nests on your property.
5. Plan desired dimensions early on
Different types of hedge grow at a different pace; this is worth exploring before planting the hedge. Also, you might want to plan for a specific hedge size early on. While hedge doesn’t have huge roots, the truth is that you might want to give it some breathing space and avoid planting too close to it.
Also, it may give you a general idea when pruning, how much you should cut on the sides and how much on the top of the hedge. This way, you can mould this vivacious barrier in order to make it fit the rest of your garden.
6. Hedges are not your only option
Hedges are amazing in every way possible but they are not your only option. You see a hedge requires an impressive investment in time and effort. Still, it’s definitely not your only option. Instead, you can go with a range of different privacy plants. Bamboo, Holly, Hicks yew and arborvitae are just some of the options that you have available.
If you want to erect a screen, you can even go for a fast-growing vine. Sure, neither of these plants comes hassle-free but the majority of them require less pruning (active effort) than a hedge. They also, however, give you less room for creativity, seeing as how you can’t mould them to assume the shape that is to your liking.
In conclusion
At the end of the day, improving your backyard is not a simple task but by grooming a perfect hedge, you’ll make a major leap in the right direction. Like any other type of landscaping, this takes the right timing, concentrated effort and a lot of knowledge. So, seeing as how it’s not a task that you have to perform on a daily basis, take this time to learn a thing or two about how to properly maintain your hedge. A bit of knowledge can make all your effort more effective and your end results more impressive.
