Privet hedge planted too close together

heldel00

April 2017 we planted A LOT of privet bareroot and it seems to be doing ok.

I am concerned though that in one particular section the plants may have been placed too close together (approx 4 or 5 plants per metre) and that the hedge will fail when it matures as the plants will be fighting for light/ water/ nutrients etc.
Should we do something about this now? If we pull out every second plant will it disturb the ones that are left behind? Clueless!!!

Lumen

What eventual height are you aiming for?

heldel00

4 or 5 feet

homer911

two per metre would have been plenty

looksee

I don't think it matters. The individual plants, if you could see them individually, would probably be skinnier, but there is more of them. I'd leave them get on with it. Be sure and start trimming them before you get to the height you want or they will have bare ankles.

Lumen

heldel00 wrote: »

4 or 5 feet

I'd leave it then, it's quite a low hedge. The general rule is to increase spacing as you go higher, because you're wanting the plant to develop closer to its natural form.

heldel00

Yeah 2 or 3 would have been fine. Planter got overexcited i suppose.
Hedge got good clipping at start and end of summer gone by. We are going to keep it low until bottom fills in. "Bare ankles" is a good expression.

One side of the boundary is struggling a bit because it is more exposed. Will it just do its own thing in its own time or should we put up some of that unsightly green barrier stuff?

looksee

I have seen a hedge in an exposed site and it was protected by that (agreed) horrible green stuff - who decided on the colour? - but it made an absolutely beautiful hedge in the end.