Hedging types

ifconfig

We are considering putting perimeter hedging around a 1.6acre site.
We already have 80 or so mature deciduous trees planted around
3 edges of site. To screen off the surrounding agricultural farm
(which may have livestock at some point) we are considering
hedging alongside the trees.

Our choices are whitethorn, beech or laurel.
Laurel is evergreen. Are there issues (toxicity?) with laurel hedging if
the neighbouring farm has livestock on it ? Any other reason to
use one hedging type over another (maintenance I imagine)?

-ifc

Irish Gardener

Personally I would opt for a hawthorn/blackthorn mix, two Irish natives which are able to put up with a bit of livestock.


BLACKTHORN / PRUNUS SPINOSA

HAWTHORN / CRATAEGUS MONOGYNA

Any other reason to
use one hedging type over another?

Yes, does the hedge offer anything to wildlife?
Hawthorn and blackthorn are very beneficial to insects, birds and small wild animals.

For an answer to your laurel query, yes it is toxic, have a look... LAUREL POISON?

Villain

Have a look at Field Maple (Acer campestre), its quite nice looking all year and it's native so grows well in open windy area's beech can fail badly if the area is open to strong winds. see http://www.coilltenurseries.ie/?page=catalog&referrer=64;16&id=MF

Irish Gardener

irish1 wrote:

Have a look at Field Maple (Acer campestre), its quite nice looking all year and it's native so grows well in open windy area's beech can fail badly if the area is open to strong winds. see http://www.coilltenurseries.ie/?page=catalog&referrer=64;16&id=MF

coillte got that one wrong, Acer campestre is not native, but naturalised.
As is beech.
Both are still well worth growing though.

Villain

Well it says native to Europe, my main point was it seems tougher than beech.

Irish Gardener

irish1 wrote:

Well it says native to Europe, my main point was it seems tougher than beech.

Acer campestre is quite tough alright, but a complete hedge of it can look quite bare during the winter.
Whereas beech when regularly pruned, will retain its dried brown leaves on the twigs all through the winter.
This may influence your choice, if you require a element of privacy to your hedge.

golden

I would also go with what Irish Gardener has mentioned ie hawthorn/blackthorn mix. Hawthorn also has nice white flowers in springtime.

anon1

What about Hornbeam?

Irish Gardener

anon1 wrote:

What about Hornbeam?

It is quite similar in look to Beech hedging, although its leaves have a interesting serrated edge and heavy ribbing.
But it copes better than Beech with soils that are damp, or those of a heavy clay.
It also prefers and copes better with a slightly acid PH'ed soil.

ifconfig

Thanks for the useful replies !
The whitethorn/blackthorn combination sounds like a good one for our site.

I am never sure if I've actually seen a blackthorn bush and recognized it.
If I'm not mistaken at this time of the year it is just the whitethorn which
has the berries and the blackthorns dark sloes haven't matured yet ?..
or am I correct ? I know the hawthorn/whitethorn leaves are little pretty
lobed leaves and the blackthorns are little elongated leaves.

I think we will stay away from laurels for hedging purposes. I am thinking
though of putting in Ilex/holly varieties in a shrubbery area just for a
bit of colour and variation.

-ifc

twenty8

Just be careful that the Whitethorn is not too close to a road / drive. Unless you are incredibly careful when you are cutting it you will end up getting a load of punctures from it. They have tough thorns.

Also - tip for planing it. Plant them at a 45 degree angle. This will result in the plant throwing up 5 /6 shoots and then you will have a far thicker and stronger hedge in a quicker time.

Good luck

ircoha

at the end of the mooney show on radio 1 yday [ thursday 27th september] there was a discussion on diff types of hedges: the podcast link is down at the mo but well worth a listen: I would say it was 10 mins long from 1620 to 1630

Sonnenblumen

ifconfig wrote:

We are considering putting perimeter hedging around a 1.6acre site.
We already have 80 or so mature deciduous trees planted around
3 edges of site. To screen off the surrounding agricultural farm
(which may have livestock at some point) we are considering
hedging alongside the trees.

Our choices are whitethorn, beech or laurel.
Laurel is evergreen. Are there issues (toxicity?) with laurel hedging if
the neighbouring farm has livestock on it ? Any other reason to
use one hedging type over another (maintenance I imagine)?

-ifc

Olearia Macrodonta or Olearia Hastii would be 2 very good evergreen alternatives. No problems with livestock and both thrive in exposed/windy sites.