How to properly plant a grass fence. Green hedge

Before purchasing trees or shrubs for a hedge, it is worth deciding what it is for. This type of plantation can perform an exclusively decorative role or serve as a full-fledged fence. It depends on which plants and in what quantity you need to plant to create a green stripe. In the article we will tell you how a hedge is formed in the country, which plants are suitable for planting, depending on the region.

Features of the selection of plants for hedges

Fences are different in height:

Up to 50 cm - border;
50 cm - 1 m - low;
1 - 1, 5 - medium;
1.5 - 2 m - high;
More than 2 m - green walls.

Tall green walls serve as a fence. In plantations up to 1.5 m high, shrubs are used; trees are chosen for large-scale living fences. High planting density is achieved by planting in a continuous trench in one or more rows. Plants placement scheme is chess.

Hedges are divided into:

trimmed (or molded);
free growing (not molded).

An approximate assortment of hardwood, taking into account the purpose

After the decision has been made about the purpose and decorativeness, you can start choosing plants.

Plant name	Biological feature	Hedge type (w / s)
Plant name	Biological feature	Height	By type of formation
Boxwood evergreen	bush	curb, low w / and	Shorn or free growing
Narrow-leaved lavender	shrub	border	Loose or trimmed after flowering.
Cherry plum	wood	curb, low, medium, high.	Shaped (sheared)
Barberry Thunberg	bush	1 - 1.5 m	Shorn and free growing
Derain white (or red)	bush	low, medium, high.
Bubble cherry	bush	1 - 1.5 m
Common hornbeam	Wood	1 - 2 m	Molded
Small-leaved linden	Wood	1 - 4 m	Shorn

Step-by-step instructions for creating a hedge

Step 1... Mark the landing site with pegs and twine. If a hedge is placed along a fence or wall, retreat 30-50 cm to the edge of the ditch. The same distance must be observed for curbs and low railways and along paths.

Tip # 1... Note! If the interval is not kept up, the hedgerow will grow larger and interfere with walking.

Step 2... Digging a ditch, part of the soil on the bayonet of the shovel is laid on one side, the deeper one on the other. The width of the trench depends on the type of hedge. For a single-row border, 20 cm is enough, for large w / s - 30 cm in each row.

Step 3... The soil excavated from the deep layer is optimized. To do this, add humus, about ½ bucket per 1 m 2 for deciduous plants. When planting conifers, organic fertilizers are not applied.

Step 4... Plants are planted in a checkerboard pattern at equal distances. The interval depends on the size of the planting material. For example, between the centers of bushes with a diameter of 30 cm (at the time of planting), there should be at least 0.5 m. The resulting gap is filled with plants of the second row.

Step 5... Bushes (or trees) when planting are covered with soil after the next one is installed. Since most hedges are planted with an open root system, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added to the soil for plant survival, at the rate of 2 - 3 tablespoons per 1m 2.

Step 6... After planting, a strip is formed for watering and feeding the hedge.

Hedge care, a list of fertilizers and fertilizing

A hedge planted in the fall is fertilized after a spring revision when the leaves are blooming. Bushes that have not taken root are dug up and replaced with new ones. If the survival rate is successful, nitrogen fertilizers can be applied, but not earlier than 2 - 3 young leaves grow. Ammonium nitrate is often used at 200 g per 1 m 2 or humus - 3 kg per 1 m 2. Top dressing is applied after watering.

In the first and subsequent years, the hedge is sheared after the growth of shoots of the current year. They are thin, flexible stems. They are noticeably different from last year's branches.

At the beginning and at the end of the fence, pegs are installed on the sides, the height of which is greater than the size of the bushes (or trees).
A twine is pulled between the stakes, this is a mark below which one cannot go down when cutting.
For the formation of high w / and twines are placed in several rows. Clipping tools are topiary shears or modern brush cutters. They are intended for cutting flexible, non-lignified shoots.

Tip # 2. Topiary scissors are best used for trimming short hedges.

The next haircut is needed in the fall in October to remove the branches that have grown over the summer. Modern drugs can not only accelerate plant growth, but also slow it down. This is useful for hedges to reduce the number of haircuts per season. Natural substances produced by plants are abscisic, cinnamic and salicylic acids, which are produced naturally at the end of summer to prepare for "hibernation".

Artificially synthesized substances are called inhibitors and are used in the spring, at the beginning of the growing season. These include growth stimulants, an overdose of which leads to the opposite result, that is, inhibition of development.

Acetylsalicic acid (aka Aspirin);
"Epin - extra";
"Alpha-Nano-Grow Extra"
"Pennant".

Assortment of plants for shade hedges

Often there are hedges with bald patches at the bottom. This comes from lack of lighting and improper haircuts. Where there is little sun, such shrubs and trees are planted:

Plant name	Biological feature
Common barberry	Deciduous shrub
Derain white
Derain red
Common privet
Spirea Wangutta
Common hornbeam	Deciduous tree
Spruce prickly	Coniferous tree
Thuja western	Coniferous tree

Requirements for plantings near the playground

The most important criterion for choosing plants for decorating playgrounds is safety... This is why poisonous, prickly, foul-smelling and allergy-causing plants should be avoided. Do not plant trees and shrubs that attract wasps and bees. List of dangerous plants:

Plant name	Danger
Common yew	All parts of the tree are poisonous
Yew berry	All parts of the tree are poisonous
Juniper Cossack (in freely growing hedges)	The toxin is contained in the shoots
Daphne (or Deadly Wolfberry)	High toxicity
Barberry Thunberg	Prickly
Cherry plum
Spruce prickly
Alpine currant
Hawthorn	Honey plants attracting bees and wasps.
Bubble cherry
Caragana tree
Small-leaved linden

It is better to place hedges around the playground from the following plants:

Derain is white;
Derain red;
The cotoneaster is brilliant;
European forsythia,
Shrub cinquefoil "Kuril tea";
Tuyu western.

Hedges by the pond and with high groundwater tables

To clean the pond from fallen leaves as rarely as possible, it is better to place conifers and evergreens near the reservoir. Free-growing hedges from:

Junipers - common, Cossack, Virginian, medium.
Common and berry yews;
Tui western;
Boxwood evergreen.

Flowering will decorate the pond:

Forsythia is European;
Spireas - Wangutta, Japanese, Bumalda, gray, and other types;
Henomeles (Japanese quince);
Common lilac;
Narrow-leaved lavender;
Cinquefoil "Kuril tea".

The listed shrubs are planted in living single-row hedges. When planting hedges, gardeners often lose sight of the problem of high groundwater levels. The insidiousness of this phenomenon is that even short-term flooding can destroy plants. Moreover, this happens with adults, formed plantings, which have grown by roots to the deep layers. “High water” refers to a level 2 m below the surface of the earth.

You can cope with this phenomenon with the help of a drainage system at the site. But the construction of a complex structure is not available to everyone. There is a technological way out of this situation. When planting, the depth of the planting trench is increased by 15 cm, the bottom is filled with a drainage mixture of sand and crushed stone or crushed brick. Only after that the ditch is filled with soil. Even with this preparation, it is better to plant woody plants with a shallow root system in a hedge:

Barberry Thunberg,
Alpine currant,
European forsythia,
Spirea Wangutta;
Common privet,
Kalina ordinary.

The best option is to create an additional living plant fence

Tip # 3. It is worth refraining from forming a hedge from trees - common hornbeam, small-leaved linden, western thuja, common beech, berry yew.

What to plant in a hedge to protect from wind dust and exhaust fumes

To protect against adverse factors, multi-tiered free-growing hedges of trees and shrubs are formed.

From the wind, it is better to pick up plants with an openwork crown. They not only resist the flow of air, but scatter it as if through a sieve. Cold masses that move along the bottom are especially unpleasant. This is why it is important that the plantings are evenly spaced from top to bottom.
Plants are used from dust and exhaust gases, which retain substances harmful to humans, but do not suffer. For example, heavy substances from automobile exhaust remain on low-growing bushes, which are located closer to the road. As you approach the fence, the height of the plants increases. The largest trees or shrubs are planted near the fence. Each subsequent row overlaps the previous one.

Protective hedges are formed from the following trees and shrubs:

Tall - from the hornbeam, cherry plum, western thuja.
Medium - from hawthorn, Thunberg barberry, Vangutt spirea, white and red deren;
Low - from alpine currant, Cossack juniper, white snowberry, Potentilla "Kuril tea".
It is worth remembering that even the most resistant plants will not survive in strong winds and in conditions of excessive gas pollution.

Heading "Questions and Answers"

Question number 1.Thinking about getting a hedge, tell me what are the pros and cons?

But do not plant a hedge for someone who does not have enough time to care for it. It cannot be planted and forgotten. In the spring, you need to revise the overwintered plants:

remove all dry and damaged branches;
remove dry plant residues and dig in strips along the fence on both sides with a width of 30 - 40 cm;
fertilize;
to mulch.

Cut the hedge in the summer. In autumn, select all dry leaves from the bushes and remove self-seeding of weeds and woody plants. For example, winged seeds of maples, robinia (white acacia), ash trees like to settle in hedges. Before winter, the hedge is dug up again and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied. Busy gardeners may not have enough time to do this.

Question number 2... What to plant near a neighbor's plot without a fence?

The best option is western thuja.

Firstly, this is a fast-growing coniferous tree, which gives an increase of 30 - 50 cm per year.
Secondly, it can be formed in height from 50 cm to 2 m.
Thirdly, it is a useful plant, it releases phytoncides.
Fourthly, the western thuja is decorative at any time of the year.

Thuja western is one of the most popular plants for hedges in terms of decorativeness, growth rate and unpretentiousness.

Question number 3... What shrubs to plant in a hedge to close an ugly wall?

If the wall faces the south, southeast or southwest side, then it is better to plant flowering shrubs in one row:

forsythia,
spirea Wangutta (popularly called the "Bride"),
japanese quince,
common lilac.

On the northern, northwestern and northeastern sides, form w / and from shade-tolerant plants, privet, turf, barberry, caragana.

Serious mistakes gardeners make when creating a hedge in the country

The most common mistake is over-planting hedges. Summer residents want the young plantings to look like adults and mature. As a result, bushes (or trees) have nowhere to grow, they crowd out each other and die. Initially, when landing, you must observe the recommended distances.
Many gardeners prune them right after planting conifers in a hedge. Most often, after this, the plant suffers and perishes. Pruning of conifers can be carried out only after complete survival. Deciduous trees after planting are shortened by 1/3 regardless of the size of the bushes (or trees). The first shearing is done after the final rooting of the plants.
Often, hedges are planted too close to the fence. From the vertical edge of the plantings, you need to leave at least 30 cm of soil in each direction. This strip is needed to retain water during irrigation, fertilization, loosening.

It is not at all necessary to delve into the specifics of construction to fencing your territory. An excellent alternative for many has become a hedge, which can not only hide the property of the owners from prying eyes, but also complement the landscape design. In addition, all zones can be distributed with the help of evergreen perennials. It is quite simple to create a fast-growing perennial hedge in the country. If you regularly take care of it, then it will not lose its decorative qualities for several decades.

Almost any plant can be chosen to form a living fence, but not all of them will grow rapidly. Some require a lot of attention, constant feeding, frequent watering and certain climatic conditions. In addition, their annual growth rate is rather small, so the "live" fence will grow for many years. You can also go the other way - pick up fast-growing plants that develop quickly enough and from them you can simply form a fence of any shape and height.

Among the advantages of a hedge are:

climbing plants quickly entwine walls and supports;
if necessary, they will hide the flaws in the structure;
even with a modest landscape design, you can transform the entire territory for little money;
can be planted even in narrow places;
the formation of shape and height as the plants grow;
the minimum amount of space.

There are drawbacks in almost everything, so the hedge is no exception. These include regular care. If climbing plants were chosen for the fence, then in winter the fence will shine through, since the leaves will fall off in the fall.

When growing a green fence, it is worth remembering that it can be in the form:

curb (up to 1 m);
hedge (1-3 m);
living wall (3-6 m).

The successful formation of a perennial hedge depends on the correct selection of the plant, planting and caring for it.

As you know, with the help of flowers, you can create flower beds and break alpine slides. But if it is necessary to perform zoning or to grow a high hedge, then other types must be used:

climbing plants;
shrubs;
decorative trees.

Shrubs are especially popular, from which amateurs and professionals create whole compositions:

fences;
curbs;
geometric figures;
animals.

Another option for decorating a plot is willow. However, you can choose not only the usual varieties. If you have children, then with the help of a hedge, you can fence off the children's area and calmly go about your business. At the same time, parents will be completely calm for their kids, since they will not be able to escape anywhere. Even a small child will not be able to get through the dense thickets.

Using simple shrubs will allow you to implement absolutely any idea. In addition, there is no need to resort to the help of designers, it is enough to familiarize yourself with the tips and thematic articles that are available on our website.

Considering all the options, you need to plan and present your hedge. To narrow the range of choice, you must use some criteria:

Height.
Width.
Sheared or molded shape.
Free growing.
Care requirements.
Climatic conditions.

Thanks to this, you can quickly determine which plants are suitable for forming a hedge. Undoubtedly, flowers are among the benefits of deciduous plants. Many of them can bloom for a fairly long period of time, be honey plants, be used for traditional medicine, and also bear fruit.

These include:

acacia;
chokeberry;
elder;
derain;
honeysuckle;
viburnum;
jasmine chubushnik;
currant;
lilac;
maple and others.

When choosing plants in favor of deciduous trees, there is one important point to consider. The hedge should bloom in early spring and shed its leaves in late fall.

When choosing a single-tier height, you can significantly save on the required area for the formation of a hedge. In this case, it is worth giving preference to those types of trees in which branches can grow from the base of the trunk: linden, poplar and maple. If the area allows, then it is better to make a multi-tiered green fence. He not only can become a fence, but also shelter a large area of \u200b\u200bland from the winds.

For a hedge up to 3 m high, you can choose - ligature, poplar, linden, willow, mountain ash.
For a hedge with a height of 1.5 to 2.5 m, the most often chosen are cotoneaster, barberry, golden currant, alpine honeysuckle.
For a hedge from 70 cm to 1.5 m suitable - chubushnik, Bessey cherry, steppe almond, Japanese spirea.
For curbs, you must choose dwarf plants of the above varieties.

If you choose the right trees and shrubs, you can create an original multi-tiered green fence. They will not close each other, but at the same time, a beautiful combination of colors and the sequence of flowering will constantly delight you.

Shrubs have many benefits. They grow fast enough, have a dense crown, and are easy to care for. It should be noted that their main advantage is their flexibility to form. In addition, a wide variety of species allows you to solve several problems at once. If you need to additionally protect your property, choose specimens with thorns. They must be planted on the outside of a living fence. You can also consider fruiting options, the fruits of which can be used for food.

Among the simplest and most affordable shrubs, there are 3 most common:

Dogwood. An unpretentious shrub that can be planted even in the shade. For forming an external hedge, this is a great option. In addition to beautiful leaves, dogwood bears fruit. Its fruits can be eaten or used in traditional medicine. Dogwood can be planted both in spring and autumn, but not less than a month before frost.
Barberry. It grows in absolutely any soil. Thanks to the thorns, it will serve as additional protection for the fence. There are both undersized and tall varieties, which allows the formation of both curbs and high fences. Blooms beautifully. As in the case of dogwood, the fruits are suitable for home harvesting.
Tern. Does not require special care and careful trimming. An impenetrable dense crown will not miss a single person. The fruits can be picked even after frost and used for harvesting. The hedge has an unusually beautiful appearance in the spring, during the flowering period. A pleasant almond aroma will spread throughout the area.

Some specimens do not tolerate tip removal well. This should be considered if the hedge will be trimmed and shaped.

A significant advantage of conifers is the green crown all year round. Undoubtedly, this is ideal for forming the main fence. Also, tall trees can be used for the main part, and shrubs can give protection and decorative properties in the foreground. To date, planning landscape design, the following options are used:

Thuja western. The most common and unpretentious plant that suits almost any climate in our country. Minimal grooming and no annual haircuts can also be included in the list of benefits.
Norway spruce. Most often chosen for the formation of a free growing hedge. Professionals prefer to form various shapes and forms from it.
Juniper. The plant has a bluish shade of needles that are pleasant to the touch. For the hedge to be strong, it is important to use seedlings at least 5 years old.

To grow a fence, especially a high one, from conifers, you need to spend a lot of time and effort. In most cases, they are chosen in combination with other, fast-growing options.

Among the fairly large assortment of shrubs and trees, there are those that should not be included in the list of "favorites". So, some breeds will not be able to form a dense crown, which is very important for hedges. These include varietal lilacs. Its lower part will be exposed every year. Despite the fact that viburnum is among the suitable options, due to improper care it can die very quickly. Therefore, it is not suitable for giving.

Quite often, a rosehip is chosen to form a hedge. Only experienced gardeners know that its root system will grow in different directions. Because of this, in a few years the entire territory will be filled with root suckers. Another erroneous option would be the weigela shrub. It is not suitable for every climate, so it is worth familiarizing yourself with its features.

These options should not be completely ruled out. They can be a great option for forming a tiered hedge.

A carefully thought out and developed layout of a hedge is a guarantee of beauty for years to come. Next, the markup is done. For accuracy, use:

roulette;
cord;
pegs.

The depth of the grooves should be at least 40 cm.It is also worth considering the number of rows: when forming one row, an area of \u200b\u200bup to 60 cm is involved, for two rows - 1 m.No less important is the width between the bushes, which should be about 25 cm.

Despite the fact that many plants grow quickly, 4 years is considered the optimal time to form a hedge. Plants need to be shaped only in summer, thanks to this the fence will not grow bald from below. With the right combination of plants, cutting can be avoided altogether. In this case, there will be a "creative mess".

If you plan to grow a hedge in several rows, you must use the square-nesting method with an offset.

It is quite easy to plan and form a fast-growing perennial hedge in your dacha. To do this, you need to choose the right plants. In order for the hedge to be beautiful, it is necessary to take particular care of it in the first 2 years. It is during this period that the root system is fixed.

Video

From the provided videos, you can find out how to make do-it-yourself hedges:

Ugly fences spoil the countryside landscape. Planting a hedge in the country will help both define the boundaries of the site, and not disturb the natural harmony. It is pleasant to relax, not admiring the rotten boards or concrete slabs, but the flowering shrub. It is even easier to create such a fence than to build a capital wall, and it will perfectly perform its function for many years.

What kind of living fences are there?

Depending on the purpose and tastes of the owners, hedges are of different types. If you need a fence that protects the site from livestock, people who want to go directly through your territory, you need a tall, preferably thorny shrub with strong tall trunks. For decorative screens, dividing the area into different zones, other herbaceous plants are also suitable.

Vegetable fences can be categorized according to different criteria:

high, medium and low;
evergreen and deciduous;
decorated and free growing;
solid and translucent;
single-tiered and cascading;
homogeneous and mixed.

Depending on which view you like best, you need to decide what to plant in order to get a living fence in the country. Not only shrubs can be used as low borders, but also herbaceous perennials: peonies, phloxes,. Such borders will perfectly frame the paths, divide the flower garden into several parts.

A maze will be useful on the playground. There is no need to plant tall shrubs for toddlers so that children are not frightened by getting lost on the paths. Teenagers can have a more serious puzzle with different branches and walls of tall plants. If you leave an empty area in the center, you can arrange small picnics, set up a barbecue and relax with the whole family.

Where to begin?

You've got a new site. Where to start mastering it? Of course, from the fence. The fence should be high enough, solid and strong. Immediately discard plants with unusual beautiful flowers and tasty fruits, if you do not want every passer-by to take a piece of the fence with them.

For registration of the boundaries of the territory are suitable:

juniper;

On the borders of the site, it is better to plant plants that do not require pruning and can grow freely. At the same time, you need to remember that your plantings should not shade the territory of your neighbor, it is advisable not to acquire breeds whose height is more than 2 m.If you make a solid wall of fluffy Christmas trees on your northern border, after a few years they will grow into huge trees and close from the southern sun half of the neighboring plot. In a conflict situation, you may be forced to cut down trees.

Perhaps the neighbors in the country have already installed ugly concrete structures and on your site you feel like in the courtyard of a prison. The situation is easy to fix. In the first year, plant climbing plants along existing structures that will quickly create a green screen:

bindweed;
decorative beans;
wild grapes;

In the fall, you can replace annuals with long-lived shrubs. In this case, you no longer need to be afraid of garden thieves and you can plant roses and other attractive crops.

Dividing the site into zones

You have fenced off the territory, now you need to decide which zones you want to separate on your site. If the area is small, you can arrange live fences that serve as a screen and at the same time supply you with crops.

Around the playground and resting place you can plant:

grapes;
currants;
raspberries;

In spacious areas, you can arrange a fancy cascading hedge. The back row consists of freely growing shrubs, the rest of the layers are formed at the request of the owners. Fences from plants of the same species, but with different colors of leaves and flowers, look stylish. You can trim the rows evenly for a crisp step, or you can shape them into waves or jagged edges.

Low curbs give a huge scope for imagination. Their task is not to close or defend the territory, they just emphasize the boundaries. Neither density nor strength is required from such a fence. Small bushes trimmed in the form of balls, cones or animal figures will look spectacular. Corners and edges can be marked with blue Christmas trees or other trees with unusual foliage colors.

Sometimes a fence is needed not for many years, but only for a couple of seasons - for example, to close the area on which you are building something. A rope stretched at a height of 2 m and curly annuals will help you solve this problem: decorative beans. Bricks, pits and other unsightly pictures are not visible behind the green wall, and when the work is over, it will not be a pity to destroy the fence.

Living lattices

A trellis fence resembling a decorative lattice can become a decoration of the site. To make it, take a shrub with not very thin trunks: hawthorn, willow. Plant your plants as close as possible to each other. Prepare in advance trellises or wooden structures on which the shoots will be attached.

The first year, let the bushes grow freely, and in the fall, cut off all the shoots, leaving hemp no higher than 12 cm.After a year, leave strong shoots and intertwine them with each other at an angle of 45⁰. At the junctions of the branches, cut off the bark and firmly fix the shoots. The result should be a grid of rhombuses.

The decorated hedge is attached to the trellis or lattice frame. In the future, remove all shoots that do not grow in the plane of the screen, but cut the tops along a straight line. The fence turns out to be narrow, takes up little space, and in terms of decorativeness it can compete with a lush multi-tiered structure. A living lattice will help hide both a concrete fence and an ugly structure.

A fence made of trees

A hedge in the country can be made not only from shrubs, but also from trees. Such a wall will grow for a long time, but its beauty and strength will meet the expectations. Immediately after planting, the main trunk must be cut off, leaving about 15 cm in height. After that, the lateral branches will begin to develop intensively. In a few years, neither man nor animals will be able to get through the thick hedge.

For planting, you need to choose trees that tolerate pruning well: maple, hornbeam. Poplar grows quickly, perfectly protects against dust and noise, it can be trimmed, but this plant has very fragile branches. In strong winds, a huge piece of wood can break off and damage plantings or injure people. The second reason why it is undesirable to plant poplars on the site is a huge amount of fluff.

A fence made of coniferous trees is very beautiful, only over time it will reach too high a height, and you cannot shorten the tops of the trees. Such a wall can be arranged on the north side of the site if it borders on a river or forest and the shadow does not bother anyone. If over the years the lower branches begin to dry and die off, a solid wall of shrub can be grown between the trunks.

Purchase of seedlings

For hedges, it is better to use plants that originally lived in your area and have adapted to the peculiarities of the climate. If you arrange a fence in the country from capricious exotic bushes, they can develop unevenly, some specimens will get sick or die, and a solid, beautiful fence will not work. An unpretentious willow, lilac or hawthorn is much more reliable.

For small areas, seedlings can be grown from cuttings. This option is suitable for low curbs, the next year after planting the plants will reach the desired height. It is possible to grow independently planting material for a high fence in the country only if you agree to wait several years.

If you need to fence the perimeter, you need a lot of seedlings, and they must be large enough. Choose bushes no older than 6 years. When buying, pay attention to the roots, keep them moist and healthy. The crown should be developed evenly in all directions.

Dig a trench 0.5 m deep and wide.If you want to make a cascading fence, increase the width by half a meter for each tier. Pour sand at the bottom for drainage. Lay the top fertile layer separately when digging, it will go for filling the roots.

Plant trees at a distance of 1 m from each other, tall bushes can be placed every 0.7 m. The lower the plants, the denser the planting should be. Spill the trenches well with water and throw fertile soil mixed with organic fertilizer and hydrogel to the bottom. If you purchased seedlings in containers, plant them along with a clod of earth. It is desirable to treat an open root system with a growth stimulator. Trim off any dry, damaged and diseased growths, sprinkle the cuts with crushed charcoal and plant the bushes in the trench.

For tall plants, set up pegs to prevent the wind from swinging them during the rooting period. Cover the trenches with earth, compact slightly, and pour water over to avoid air voids. Mulch the top layer with cut grass, compost or peat.

Decorative sand and pebbles of different colors can be purchased as mulch. With their help, you can lay out various ornaments along the plantings.

Green hedge maintenance

To make your green fence in the country always pleasing to the eye, it needs good care. First of all, provide enough moisture so as not to spoil your mood with the sight of drooping leaves and wilted blossoms. If the soil is not covered with a layer of mulch, loosen the top layer in both directions at a distance of at least 50 cm. Spill the soil with plenty of water so that it is saturated with moisture to a depth of about 40 cm.

Top dressing depends on the type of plants and on whether you will eat the fruits. In the spring, apply organic fertilizers - 5 kg per m 2. In the summer, feed with potash and phosphorus fertilizers. In the fall, prepare a composition of 50 g of ammonium sulfate, 30 g of potassium salt and 50 g of superphosphate.

Particular attention should be paid to trimming the living fence. You need to do this work regularly, otherwise the decorative hedge will turn into a dense jungle. In young plants, for the first 2 years, pruning is performed several times per season to stimulate the development of new shoots. Mature trees and shrubs are cut in spring and autumn. This removes all diseased, damaged and dry processes, as well as branches that grow in the wrong direction or thicken the crown too much. After that, shoots are removed and shortened, which give the fence an unkempt look.

Output

A green fence in the country does not require large material costs, but the plants need careful care. Weigh all the pros and cons: can you constantly water and cut a lot of shrubs, or is it better to install a ready-made structure once and forget about it? In corners where dust and dirt do not reach, you can make a fence from fruit crops that will supply you with vitamin supplies.

To plant a live fence, you need to choose plants that tolerate pruning well and look beautiful all season. Coniferous and evergreen crops, as well as shrubs with variegated leaves, look great. You can pick up varieties of the same type, but with different flowering periods, then the fence will delight you with bright colors all summer.

To keep the hedge from looking messy, you need to learn how to trim the shrubs correctly. If the wall is too long, you can not make it out all the way to one height, but make teeth, elevations, balls. A green fence will protect your territory and fill it with the beauty and scent of flowering plants.

A hedge in the country is an excellent solution for those who want to elegantly and beautifully arrange the fence of the site, divide their garden into several parts using original means of delimitation and decorate the territory decoratively. For decoration, you can use a variety of plant species from tall evergreen conifers to flowering bushes.

An example of a hedge grown on a natural stone curb

Features of the formation of a hedge with your own hands

It looks like a hedge of various shrubs

By alternating between low, medium and tall plant varieties, you can create a multi-stage hedge. In a small garden, to delimit the site, it is better to plant one type of plant, and in a large area - many different varieties of trees and shrubs.

Types of hedges

To create a green fence from plantings, a wide variety of plant varieties are used.

Diagram of the device and installation of the fence hedge

So, the following types of hedges are distinguished:

Green hedge with climbing plants;
Evergreen coniferous hedge;
and deciduous trees;
Curb hedge of low-growing plants.

Also, hedges are distinguished by height: high (more than two meters in height), medium (from one to two meters), low (up to 120 cm) and curbs (from half a meter). You can plant a hedge in one, two or more rows. According to the speed of formation, fast-growing or long-growing hedges are distinguished. The first category includes natural fences that can be formed in two years.

Fences are also soft and prickly. Soft fences are used to divide the area into sectors, and thorny ones are often planted around the perimeter of the territory. If the plants do not require constant shearing and shaping, the hedge is called free-growing. Otherwise, the hedge must be molded.

Willow hedge example

Distinguish between rectangular, square, trellis, triangular, round and other forms of haircuts.

Curly hedges

Curly hedges are used for a variety of purposes:

Disguises of the unsightly wall of the old barn;
Fence, terrace, gazebo decoration;
Braiding of tree trunks or poles;
Decor of long-growing perennial vines, for which I use fast-growing climbing annuals.

Climbing plants are widely used in design, and with proper care they perform their decorative function perfectly. Perennial varieties can be planted both in autumn and early spring in open ground. From annual varieties, seedlings are first grown, which are subsequently planted in a permanent place after the threat of frost has disappeared. The ridge is located at a distance of at least half a meter from the fence or wall.

Climbing hedge option

For best growth, climbing and climbing plants require a support on which they climb up.

Perennial varieties

Perennial varieties of climbing plants grow in the same place for several years in a row, from year to year delighting the owner of the site. Among them, tree-like or herbaceous vines are distinguished. Wild grapes are widely used in decoration. It is possible to plant greenery with its help in a fairly short time and with the least expenditure of effort, time and money. The lianas can be up to 20 meters long. When planting, they maintain a distance of half a meter between the plants and plant grapes in holes 30 cm deep.

In one season, it is already possible to get whips from seedlings up to two meters long, and by the end of the second year of life, the whips completely cover the surface of the area allocated for them.

Wild grapes are characterized by good frost resistance, grows normally both in the sun and in the shade.

This is what a wild grape hedge looks like.

Evergreen ivy has also become an unpretentious climbing plant that has become widespread for site decoration. The cuttings of the plant are planted at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other, and the vines rise upward with the help of sucker roots. Shoots require pruning in autumn. Frost-resistant ivy varieties are sheltered for the winter, and more delicate and thermophilic plants are transplanted and kept in a bright, cool room, periodically watering.

A very beautiful and widespread plant is a climbing rose. Roses bloom profusely and brightly, smell wonderful and create a festive mood. Roses require feeding, pruning and watering for normal growth. You also need good protection against pests, for which chemicals are used for preventive and therapeutic purposes. A climbing rose is planted in the fall in a sunny place, and for the winter they are covered with spruce branches and film.

Annual climbing plants

An example of a hedge made from various annual shrubs

Of the annuals, nasturtium, tunbergia, morning glory, sweet peas, kobei, ornamental beans and pumpkin are often used.
Sweet pea has flowers of interesting shape and varied colors. In order for the plant to bloom well and for a long time, the resulting beans should be removed in time. Sweet peas prefer neutral soil without an abundance of fertilizers, and, otherwise, bloom sparsely, giving strength to the growth of leaves. Morning glory is a climbing plant with funnel-shaped flowers of blue, pink or purple. This plant blooms from July until late autumn and can spread up to five meters in width, therefore, does not require planting frequency.

The thermophilic nasturtiums are very unpretentious. They are planted both by seeds in the ground and by seedlings. The foliage of the plant has a pale green hue, and during flowering, the green carpet is covered with bright flowers of orange, yellow, dark or bright red hue.

Evergreen pine hedge

Evergreen conifers are often used to create an impenetrable hedgerow in an area. At the same time, such a green fence does not have to be looked after much, and it will be inexpensive. The only drawback when forming a coniferous hedge is the duration of the process. It will take at least three years to grow a coniferous hedge.

Another feature of the hedge is its attractive appearance at any time of the year. Conifers do not have flowers; only occasionally they shed outdated needles.

If you want to add color, you can plant flower beds and flower beds next to the hedge.

Thuja hedge

A great way to isolate yourself from the outside world and decorate your site. Thuja will serve as a reliable barrier, protect from unwanted guests and from external noise.

It looks like a thuja hedge

With good care, the thuja does not fall off and does not fade, it can be easily molded and cut. Seedlings are placed in one row with an interval of 40–80 cm. Four-year-old seedlings are best suited for planting: they are well accepted and grow quickly enough.

The varieties Brabant, Holmstrup and Smaragd are widespread. Brabant grows up to four meters in height and requires pruning twice a year. Thuja Holmstrup hedge can rise to a maximum of 2.5 meters and grows slowly. Caring for her is only watering. Thuja Smaragd is a plant up to six meters in height. It has a narrow, conical crown, which is why many designers fell in love with it.

Spruce hedge

If the owner of the site has enough time and patience, you can land around the perimeter. For this, varieties such as prickly, gray, purple and oriental spruce are used. Due to the density of the spruce crown, they cover the view well and make the fence impassable.
Saplings are better accepted for autumn planting. Warm dry weather is suitable for planting. Each seedling is planted in holes at least half a meter deep, made in well-moistened soil at a distance of at least a meter. When planting in two rows in a checkerboard pattern, the distance between the spruces is maintained at least 80 cm. The spruce hedge looks fresh at any time of the year.

Juniper hedge

Juniper is an evergreen shrub. Juniper needles can have a greenish or bluish tint. Virginian juniper is isolated from fast-growing varieties, while other species of this plant can grow for a very long time, up to several centuries.

Chinese and flake varieties are also very popular. These frost-resistant species are distinguished by branching and tolerate an arid climate well. A juniper fence is unpretentious and can serve for many years.

An example of a juniper hedge

So that there are no openings between its rows, the plants are planted in several rows in a checkerboard pattern.

Many words were devoted to various types of fences - wood, stone, metal ... However, there is another one that is no less attractive and decorative - a hedge.

Despite the complexity of its creation, it has become widespread among the owners of personal plots. The history of its appearance is as ancient as that of the fence.

And today the hedge is a fashionable element of landscape design. In addition to the functions of the fence, it has numerous features that you can appreciate by building it on your site.

We will try to tell you what is better to make a hedge, what determines the choice of plants and how to plant them on the site.

An assortment of plants from which you can make a living fence in the country

The choice of this or that plant depends on several factors, the main of which is - type of hedge. It is also important to take into account the climatic conditions of the area; a living wall will be located in a sunny or shady place, its purpose.

Hedges are trimmed and free-growing... In the first case, you need to choose species that tolerate the process of curly haircuts well, keep their shape. Such plants should have a dense crown, good foliage. If the shape is rectangular, then only shade-tolerant species (hornbeam, yew) are suitable.

The optimal ones are a trapezoid (bevel of at least 10˚) and a triangle (the sides have a slope of 70-80˚). You can also make a rounded shape that is more in line with the natural growth of many species, but it is difficult to cut it.

Privet

It is very beautiful to create a sheared hedge by mixing different species - yew, hawthorn.

If the first type has compact outlines and is suitable for small areas, then it will take a lot of space to create a free-growing hedge, because its width can reach 3 m or more.

For these purposes, flowering species (, chubushnik, action), plants with compact crown forms (Canadian spruce, common juniper) are suitable. The plus of such a hedge is that there is no need for a haircut to maintain shape.

There is also a division by height:

1. Curbs up to 1 m... Plants should be compact, slow-growing, small-leaved. Japanese spindle tree and glittering honeysuckle, for example, are suitable for trimmed curbs. For freely growing - Japanese quince, mahonia, heather, Japanese spirea.

2. Medium height (1-3 m)... Not only shrubs are suitable, but also small trees. Such a hedge can be made from western thuja and its forms; a bladder, common privet, hawthorns, barberry, mockery are suitable.

3. Living walls, the height of which is more than 3 m... Designed to protect from wind, dust, noise, serve to protect the boundaries of the site. Trees that tolerate haircut well are suitable - hornbeam, spruce, linden, white willow (spherical), thuja.

A hedge looks very nice in combination with metal, wood and stone fences. In such cases, the hedge should not be very thick. Vines (climbing hydrangea, ivy), flowering shrubs (lilacs, rose hips, spireas, roses) are suitable.

Fast-growing species are of little use for sheared hedges, but if you need to quickly create a living wall, then such plants are indispensable.

How to plant a hedge correctly?

The first step in creating a green wall is preparing the soil.... All weeds should be removed at the proposed planting site. This can be done by digging and loosening, followed by the removal of aboveground and underground parts of weeds. Another method is chemical, using herbicides (for example, roundup).

If the soil is clayey, heavy, then sand should be added to it, and if it is represented by sandy loam, then loam should be added. To reduce acidity, add lime, and peat into alkaline soil. The soil also needs to be fertilized. If you are not constrained in funds, then you can buy ready-made soil in the store and use it.

Next, we make markings for planting plants by pulling the rope... Depending on the amount of planting material, it is necessary to dig a trench (manually or using a technique) or separate planting holes for each plant. So, for a single-row hedge, it is enough to dig a trench 50 cm wide, for a two-row hedge - up to 90 cm.The depth is at least 50-60 cm.

Planting material must be of high quality, so get it from nurseries or specialist garden centers and shops.

Planting dates - autumn or early spring (before the leaves bloom)... Frost and precipitation are important indicators to watch out for. Therefore, in the southern regions it is better to plant in the fall, and in the northern regions - in the spring. Moreover, if the plant was sold in a container, it can be planted at any time during the growing season.

If the root system is open, then planting should be done as soon as possible, otherwise the roots will dry out and the plant will not take root. Preserving the roots for a while will help placing them in a plastic bag with moistened sawdust.

Slow growing species, shade tolerant, with a narrow crown should be planted more densely than light-loving, fast-growing with a spreading wide crown. They are also planted more densely when creating molded living walls. Thus, when planting, the distance between plants should be 0.4-0.6 m for a sheared hedge and 0.8-1.0 m for a freely growing medium-height hedge. Between the rows, respectively, there should be 0.6-0.8 m and 1.0-1.5 m. For curbs and living walls, these indicators should be reduced or increased by about 2 times.

When the plants are planted, the soil is compacted, watered, mulched with peat, sawdust or crushed bark. If the hedge is provided as a wind protection, then it is planted perpendicular to the prevailing direction.

Do not forget to take care of your green fence and soon you will acquire a beautiful and functional decoration of your site.