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Safety Query for Hedgerow Planting

DylanQuestion

Have got some dead ash trees felled today on a hedgerow dividing us and the house behind. It's really bare now so I was going to plant a horse chestnut I have that I grew from seed. It's around 3ft tall now. My fear is that the hedgerow is a mound of dense dirt (maybe 3 feet wide at its most narrow and 4 feet tall) and if I plant the chestnut in it, it might not root properly and be likely to fall easily. Any advice?

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elperello

I'd be more concerned about the spread of the tree at maturity.

A horse chestnut would be expected to reach a spread of c.40ft and is not really suited to a boundary.

DylanQuestion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119021227#Comment_119021227

I'm not so concerned about that as the trees that were felled were huge too. There are ash and sycamore remaining which have the same spread as horse chestnut. The actual mound is 3ft wide at the top (most narrow), but the actual boundary is probably 10 feet wide, as the mound slopes. However, we also planted two red oaks and I'm concerned another big tree might not fit when those two eventually grow. Red oak are known for deep roots so not concerned about them on the mound

Do you have a suggestion for what might be more appropriate instead? It would be nice to get something that will grow tall, too

standardg60

It will root way beyond the extent of the mound as it grows, tree roots pretty much form a mirror image of the height and width of what grows above ground

DylanQuestion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119021269#Comment_119021269

Thank you, that's my fear. Do you have any ideas of trees that might be more appropriate based of my (weak) description of the mound? There are some hawthorns growing that I think might work. I'd just like it grow to at least 15 feet tall if possible, and be relatively fast growing (or possible to be bought kind of big)

cap.in.hand.

Mountain ash doesn't grow too tall but it's still classed as a tree

elperello

My concern about the Horse Chestnut was the overhang into next door.

I see you mentioned the hawthorns which can form a nice screen.

Maybe add in hazel with some holly underplanting and a few mountain ash as mentioned above.

Hard to say without seeing the site, perhaps get a professional to advise.

DylanQuestion

I agree about the overhang, the only reason I'm not concerned is just because theirs overhang ours and vice versa already, so an additional tree wouldn't make any difference really. An extremely mature ash (huge trunk) overhanging both gardens fell two or so years ago and did no damage bar crushing some hedges that have since been replaced. However, I appreciate you pointing it out regardless. The mound used to be full of 20ft tall holly in between the ash that we loved. However, it all died from blackspot following the 2018 snow and summer heatwave. All holly that tries to grow back from the stumps suffers the same fate after a few weeks/months :/ I'm not sure why but I've found mountain ash never seems to grow right in my area. There are a bunch near my house and only two look right. The others are extremely thin for their age and barely leaf some years (all around 30 years old). Given hawthorn is already in the area (and our neighbour has some), I think that's the best bet, and will look into hazel too. Would prefer something evergreen as it is so bare now, but will take anything at this stage. The holly dying, followed by the ash, has been a huge loss. I fear more hedgerows across the country will suffer the same fate in the next few years. I would post a photo to give ye a better idea as it's hard to judge the situation from words, but I think it would show too much of my neighbours' garden and I wouldn't really be comfortable posting that online

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119021275#Comment_119021275

I wasn't being dismissive of planting the chestnut, was allaying your fear of it falling over, it's not likely to.

But yes if you want something smaller, hawthorn is ideal

DylanQuestion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119021638#Comment_119021638

I was thinking maybe rather than planting on the mound, I might try dig some of it out to make room for something to be planted flat on the ground. I think you're right that it is unlikely to fall over, like all the other trees. The only one that has fallen grew flat on the ground, not on the mound. I'm just anxious that a self seeded tree may adjust to the mound better than me digging into it and around roots. The two red oaks we planted on it were on the two flat parts of the mound, so not concerned about them. It's very likely the sycamore already there will replace the ash with the hundreds of seedlings it sprouts up in our garden and on the mound every year, so it might be a safe bet to leave it for a year and see how nature reacts to the ash being gone

looksee

I'm not sure why but I've found mountain ash never seems to grow right in my area. There are a bunch near my house and only two look right. The others are extremely thin for their age and barely leaf some years (all around 30 years old).

I have a theory based on observation that generally mountain ash needs some altitude to grow well (maybe there is a hint in the name!). I think the same applies to some extent to foxgloves.