Evening star., 1953-04-05
Setting a Hedge
Small Lots Make 1t Essential to Choose
Proper PIunts Thut Keep Within Bounds
By W. H. Youngmon
Garden Editor

may be confined to q narrow
space be 1t low or tall. Galvan-
lied pipe supports and wire net
ting, or No. IL guage galvanized
wire will make a good support
for most rose screens. However,
this type of rose does not carry
down to the ground and so it is
usually desirable to plant the
hardy polyantha or f1oribunda
roses to take care of the first
two or three feet Of height.
Some say that the hemlock is
one Of the best hedge plants in
this area, because it can be kept
at almost any desired height: al
ways looks well and does not take
too much trimming. In spite Of
these fine qualities. it should be
remembered that the hemlock
will not Withstand Strong winter
winds and 1t requires more mois-
ture than some plants. It will
grow satisfactorily in sun or
shade.
Dwarf Forms Useful.
The dwarf forms Of arborvitae.
yew and juniper require much
less pruning than the taller
growing ones and all make at
tractive hedges. The arborvitae,
Little Gem, is a real dwarf, sell
dom exceeding 2 feet in height.
The dwarf Japanese yew grows
to about the same height. but viii
take sun or shade, while the ar
borvitae will seldom thrive for
long in shady situations.
The lockwood is considered by
some as hedge plant. It is a
good one for low hedges. The
true English lockwood is slow
growing and needs very little at
tention for many years. Eventu-
ally it gains both height and
width and will need trimming.
The so-called American box is a
more rapid grower and may be
treated as formal or informal
hedge.
The barberries are often looked
upon as commonplace hedges.
They are hardy, inexpensive and
will turn dogs and children after
they have gained size. The
evergreen barberries, particularly
the Juliane and it's variety, True
hedge Columnberry. are excel
lent materials for a hedge up
to 3 feet in sunny situations.
The box barberry may be sub
Stituted for the true lockwood
for low hedge, under foot, in
hot sunny situations.
The Meyer juniper is another
sun lover, but has a silvery blue
foliage that is likely to be OBJ
jectionable in some situations.
However, it does thrive in hot
dry situations better than most
plants. 1t is good for hedges
up to 3 feet. -.
Holly Is Attractive.
I The Japanese holly is an at
tractive hedge plant that will
thrive in moderate shade. The
variety, Convexa, has better
foliage and only grows to 3 feet.
The common form grows to 8
feet or more in favorable situa-
tions. Both may be trimmed to
formal hedges. They will not
thrive in hot dry places.
The American holly is another
good hedge plant but needs two
feet or more of width for good
growth. 1t may be kept at any
height desired from 2 to 10 feet.
The American holly also needs
protection from winter winds,
| but the attractive fruits make it
a desirable hedge plant.
Other good hedge plants are
the spireas, euonymus, privets
including the glossy -leaved priv
ct, lilacs, hawthornes, trifoliate
orange. forsythia and flrethorn.
In selecting hedge plant it is
desirable to determine the height
desired, the exposure to sun and
wind, and the moisture available.
Also consider the width to which
the hedge may grow. One might
also add the frequency Of trim
ming as well as freedom from in
sectS and diseases.
Set the Plants Close.
Hedges may be planted in the
spring or fall. For the ever
green hedge and most of the
deciduous plants, spring plant
ing is preferred. In planting
the hedge it is desirable to dig
a shallow trench and to prepare
the soil thoroughly so that good,
vigorous growth will result. This
involves working humus into the
soil, perhaps some superphos-
phate.
Set the hedge plants reason
ably close together so that they
will make a solid, twiggy growth
near the ground. The actual
spacing will vary as: Barberry,
a foot apart; hemlocks, 2 or 21a
feet apart. For a wide hedge it
is desirable to stagger the plants.
Pruning Of the hedge should
begin very early in order to force
branching close to ground level.
At this stage of growth pruning
once or twice a year to force new
branches to form will have much
tn do with the TYNE Of ur0urfh