Conifers are very good plants for creating hedges. They are ornamental all year round and grow quickly, so they create a tall hedge in a short time. They can be pruned or grown without pruning. Find out which are the bestfast-growing conifers for a hedgeThe following article lists the best varieties of fast-growing conifers for hedges and briefly describes their requirements.
Rapid-growing conifers for a hedge - thuja hedge 'Brabant'
A hedge is a great idea to separate your garden from a busy street.It also helps to separate different parts of the garden, it is simply a great solution when it comes to creating any natural barriers. Hedges can be divided into those made of deciduous plants and those made of conifers.
Hedge conifershave the advantage over deciduous ones that they do not require raking leaves in the fall, and are decorative all year round. There are many species of conifers that can be used to create a coniferous hedge, but the most popular arefast-growing conifers , thanks to which the hedge grows to the right size much faster.
Fast-growing conifers for a hedgeinclude juniper (Juniperus), spruce (Picea) and thuja (Thuja), commonly referred to as thuja in Polish. Before we move on to a more detailed description of these species and their varieties recommended for hedges, it is worth remembering that the larger plants are planted in a hedge, the better the effect will be achieved in a shorter time.It is also worth making sure that all plants are he althy and about the same size. It is worth buying plants for a hedge from only one nurseryman.
Conifers for a hedge - juniper
Juniper (Juniperus) is one of the typicalfast-growing conifers for a hedgePerfect for light, sandy and infertile soils. It would be best if it had a sunny position. In fact, all columnar varieties of juniper are suitable for hedges, and because there are many of them, there is a lot to choose from. It is also worth remembering that thesefast-growing conifersare very good for creating defensive hedges due to their prickly needles. Rather, no one will dare to tear through the dense and stinging juniper hedge.
Chinese juniper 'Obelisk'
It is a wide-columned variety of Chinese juniper, reaching up to 3 m in height and 1 m in width. It has long and prickly needles. Juniper 'Obelisk' is frost resistant. This is a good variety that can form a molded or unshaped hedge.
Juniper 'Hibernica'
This juniper variety is more dense and compact. It also grows up to 3 m high and 1 m wide. It has very prickly and sharp needles with a blue-green color. Thisfast-growing conifer for hedgesgoes very well with naturalistic plantings. Hibernica has no special soil requirements, it grows best in the sun. It is worth remembering that older hedges need to be tied in before winter so that they do not break under the weight of the snow. You should also know that in the hedge, at the point of contact with the second bush, the 'Hibernica' juniper loses its needles, which is normal due to the lack of sunlight reaching this place. Therefore, it should be planted not too densely, only for hedges that are not to be a tight barrier, but rather to remain openwork
Rock juniper 'Skyrocket'
This popularfast-growing conifercreates tall hedges with a light blue shade. Due to its narrow habit, it should be planted more densely in the hedge, at intervals of 50-60 cm.
Conifers for a hedge - spruce
Spruce (Picea) asfast-growing conifers for a hedgeare most often planted in unformed hedges to emphasize their natural habit as much as possible. Spruce creates very high hedges. Depending on the distance of planting, a spruce hedge can be dense or more openwork. A dense spruce hedge, properly formed, can be an excellent defensive barrier for any property.
Serbian spruce (Picea omorika)
Especially recommended species of spruce for unformed, naturalistic hedges. Its slender and dense habit creates a compact and green barrier that does not require cutting. Serbian spruce creates high hedges, protecting the garden very well from strong winds. Its impressive annual increments are 35-100 cm. Serbian spruce reaches 15 m in height and is branched from the very bottom. The species tolerates urban conditions well. It does not have any special soil requirements, however, it grows best in fertile, heavy and calcareous soils.
Norway spruce (Picea abies)
This species is ideal for a formed hedge. Thanks to the cut, thisfast-growing conifercreates dense and dense hedges. Although in our country you can still find such a form of a spruce hedge. However, if we want this type of hedge, it is best to buy plants in a forest nursery and trim the tops of growth after planting so that the spruce thickens. This treatment should be repeated for several years until the appropriate density is obtained. Norway spruce hedges grow best in fertile, fairly moist soils. Norway spruce needs a lot of sun and does not tolerate air pollution.
Blue spruce (Picea pungens)
This is one of the most popular spruce trees. Especially the silver 'Glauca' variety of this species looks especially beautiful when planted in the form of a hedge. To obtain a dense hedge, the tops of the growth should be trimmed. Thisquick-growing conifer for a hedgeshould be pruned once a year in August.Blue spruce is frost resistant and undemanding to the type of soil. However, he hates shading.
Fast-growing conifers - thuja, thuja
Thuja (Thuja) These are currently the most popularfast-growing conifers for hedgesThey are valued primarily for their fast growth, nice shades of green of individual varieties, softness to the touch and a pleasant aroma of scales. Thuja like mild winters, not hot summers and humid air. They do not produce a deep root system, so in hot weather they should be watered additionally. Also, thanks to the shallow rooting, it is possible to replant large specimens more easily. These fast-growing conifers for a hedge like a lot of sun, well-exposed, are very dense and well-colored.
The best varieties of thuja forfast-growing hedgesare:
- Western Thymus 'Aurescens' - with yellowish scales
- Western Thymus 'Sunkist' - also with yellow scales
- Western Thuja 'Brabant' - grows very quickly, ideal for cut hedges, but it can turn brown in winter, which is its natural feature, but in spring Brabant thuja regains its greenness
- Western Thuja 'Smaragd' - the most popular and prettiest variety, does not require pruning, popularly referred to as thuja Emerald is a commonly available hedge plant
- Western Thuja 'Fastifiata' - it has a narrow habit, it should be planted in small intervals
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