How to care for a garden hedge

The garden hedges are beautiful, functional and, in most cases, are chosen by those who do not want artificial walls or fences on their land. Like all other ornamental plants , hedges need maintenance and care. Learn how to take care of a garden hedge and completely transform the beauty of your outdoor space.

To trim

The hedges need to be trimmed with some regularity and whenever there is a marked growth of their leaves and branches. Usually the garden hedges are kept within a certain size and cut according to a specific orientation, in order to present a concrete shape.

Unlike trees that are usually trimmed in winter, the best time to trim garden hedges is in spring. As the hedges are made up of small shrubs (some of them very delicate), cutting off their ends during the cold of winter would expose them to very adverse climatic conditions that could lead to dryness and even their death. Therefore, it is advisable to wait until the coldest days and then proceed to thinning and pruning the hedges.

Do not plant seedlings too close

To take good care of a garden hedge, it is necessary to start doing it right from the time of planting. Some people choose to plant the different shrubbery very close to each other, under the illusion that in this way they will achieve a more consistent and denser hedge.

However, this exaggerated proximity between the planted feet may be the cause of choking problems between overlapping roots and a scarcity of sun for the lower and inner branches of the hedge. Planting the different bush feet properly apart is an important strategy to obtain a more beautiful and healthier hedge.

Have patience

It is convenient to know that a hedge generally needs 3 to 5 years to reach the shape and dimensions considered ideal. Only after this period of time will the hedge be able to perform its protective and/ or beautifying function.

Knowing how to wait until the hedge is developed and providing adequate maintenance for its development is a valuable technique for taking care of this type of vegetation. No hedge is made overnight and even those that are planted through more developed seedlings will need time to grow. 

Making the most of each hedge

There are several types of garden hedges and each has different characteristics and special needs.

• Some types of vegetation can provide a better defense of privacy if trimmed differently;
• Some shrubs can protect better from gusts if planted closer to each other;
• Certain hedges need more water, others need more sun exposure.

In order to properly care for the hedges of a garden, you have to know the characteristics of each one in depth and only then can you act in accordance with your needs.

Choose the hedge properly

There are many purposes that make someone want to have hedges in their garden. Some people do it for more privacy, others because they have delicate flowers in beds that they want to protect from the wind. There are also people who plant hedges because they like the refined look they give to the garden or the cheerful colors of some types of hedge.

In any case, it is necessary to choose well the type of hedge that best suits the need that each person wants to be satisfied. Taking care of hedges that are not the most suitable for the purposes of the gardener, is always more complicated, because no matter how well the care is oriented, they will continue not to have the desired effects.

Take into account the characteristics of the garden

In addition to personal taste, it is necessary to pay attention to the type of soil, as some hedges do not develop adequately in wet, alkaline or arid land.

The amount of direct sunlight to which the hedges will be exposed in the garden must also be taken into account. Some hedges cannot get much direct sunlight, while others need many hours of sunshine a day. It is useless to try to plant a hedge that does not fit well with the characteristics of the garden where it will grow.

Some general care

• Planting hedges during spring is the best thing to do, as at that time of year the plants will find better climatic conditions to develop harmoniously and healthily.
• The hedges can be plants in a single line or double line system. The single line is usually formed by a row or several rows aligned. The double line is used in fences that are intended to be wider and the gullies are opened in a zigzag pattern.
• The pits into which the hedge planting seedlings are to be introduced must be twice the size of each seedling.
• Before planting the hedges, the soil must be prepared by correcting the pH and fertility, if necessary.
• Properly fertilizing the soil with organic matter and fertilizers is essential for the hedge seedlings to catch and grow.
• Before planting the hedges in the fertilized soil, it is advisable to let the soil rest for a few days so that the fertilizers mix properly in the soil.
• In the first weeks after planting the hedges, watering should be daily, but after two months the watering frequency can be reduced.
• The best time to water the hedges is in the late afternoon or early morning.
• Implementing a good irrigation system is not only an economy in terms of spending and water consumption, but it is also an excellent strategy for hedges to grow healthy and beautiful.

Planning, choosing, planting and taking care of the hedges of huge gardens can be too heavy a task for the care of an apprentice, however well-intentioned and hard-working it may be.