How to grow a fast-growing evergreen hedge

A hedge can be enough to give you privacy or protect your property. Whether or not you combine it with another type of fencing, such as wire mesh, try simply growing this kind of natural fence. You probably most want to know how quickly it will form an impenetrable barrier. You will be surprised, but there are varieties that will give you a green wall within a year.

A hedge will not grow overnight

Accept that even fast-growing young plants cannot work miracles, so expect such a hedge to grow by no more than one and a half metres a year. Remember that to keep your hedge dense, you have to trim it. If you did not, the following year you would need a chainsaw or a brush cutter. Fast-growing plants also need trimming several times a year. When you set about planting a hedge, make sure you place it at least half a metre from your neighbours’ fence. After all, nobody wants to argue over greenery.

Plant types

Before you start planting, the place where you put the hedge also matters. Remember that several factors play a role:

• depth 
• density
• correct planting
• the right time to plant

Success also depends on choosing suitable plant species.

Siberian elm

It is the fastest-growing tree. Ideally, plant it in autumn and trim the young plants once they are above 30 centimetres. It should then take root before winter. The best thing about it is that within a year it will grow both wider and taller, which you are sure to appreciate. In two years you will be enjoying a dense hedge that nobody can see through at all. If you like shaping plants, you have a free hand here too.

Evergreen bamboo

If you have a Japanese garden or are planning to create one, you will like this species. Although it has only become popular in recent years, do not be afraid to try it. Even in Czech gardens it does not need special conditions. Its canes grow up to 3 metres tall. The advantage is that it is very easy to propagate and to trim. Plant it in autumn while it is still warm, and prepare well-manured soil for it. It will reach 2 metres in its very first year, so trim it back frequently.

Privet

Worried about low temperatures? With privet you can relax. It is evergreen and undemanding when it comes to soil. Just be careful when pruning. If you want it to be dense, you have to prune it very regularly. Privet does not mind polluted city air either, so it is a good choice even in a large city.

Hawthorn

This is another favourite hedging plant. It generally grows up to six metres tall, so do not be afraid to trim it. Unfortunately, it is deciduous, but in spring it rewards you with beautiful white or pink flowers, which turn into deep red fruits in summer. Do not hesitate to plant hawthorn on a large plot, as it divides a garden very nicely.

Box

It is a real beauty among hedges, because you can shape it into any form, even living sculptures. It is a phenomenon that never gets boring. Unfortunately, it grows slowly. You can buy it as a young plant, but remember that it is for gardeners who do not mind a demanding plant. Its advantages are that it is evergreen and has very pretty, tiny flowers and inconspicuous green fruits.

Thuja

Some gardeners cannot live without thujas, while others truly hate them. It is evergreen and grows very quickly. It is also easy to shape beautifully. In the first year, a newly planted thuja will grow very fast, but as a result of systematic pruning it will grow very slowly the following year. Thujas are very popular in Tuscan gardens.

Common yew

This evergreen conifer likes shade and grows very, very slowly. It is also poisonous, so watch out for the red flesh and the seeds, which can be fatal. You will most often find it in château gardens. With regular pruning it will become an ornament in your garden too.

Hedges are certainly not limited to evergreens. Try, for example, various kinds of viburnum, lilac, hydrangea and medlar. Just be careful where you plant them and how far apart they are. Then you will be very happy with your hedge, and in your sheltered garden you can start practising yin yoga, for instance.