New Hedge (Or a fence it seems)

[Dibs-h]

Due to the recent destruction of my hedge - it has been recommeded that I plant something like pyracantha or berberis. What's the growth rate of these?

The primary purpose is security and for those of a nervouse desposition :roll: - to get to it one would either have to come thru my garden - step thru a Lelandii hedge and then continue 3 feet to my boundary wall - step up 2-3' and arrive at the eaves of my neighbours garage.

Or climb over the neighbours garage, upto the ridge, down the other side, and from eaves, step onto my boundary wall. So if you make a wild guess - the top of my boundary wall is around 7' higher than next doors "garden".

I.e. This proposed hedge isn't readily accesible and will run the entire length of the wall, that the neighbours garage does.

 

[Doctor]

Destruction? I thought someone had stolen it, didn't the headmistress admit it could have been one of her tradesmen responsible for the theft.
Did you have it electronically tagged?

 

[Dibs-h]

Destruction? I thought someone had stolen it, didn't the headmistress admit it could have been one of her tradesmen responsible for the theft.
Did you have it electronically tagged?

:lol: :lol:

Doc - you certainly are a bit of medicine, just at the right moment!

 

[Mike.C]

Due to the recent destruction of my hedge - it has been recommeded that I plant something like pyracantha or berberis. What's the growth rate of these?

The primary purpose is security and for those of a nervouse desposition :roll: - to get to it one would either have to come thru my garden - step thru a Lelandii hedge and then continue 3 feet to my boundary wall - step up 2-3' and arrive at the eaves of my neighbours garage.

Or climb over the neighbours garage, upto the ridge, down the other side, and from eaves, step onto my boundary wall. So if you make a wild guess - the top of my boundary wall is around 7' higher than next doors "garden".

I.e. This proposed hedge isn't readily accesible and will run the entire length of the wall, that the neighbours garage does.

Dib's I think you should go for pyracantha (firethorn) because it grows pretty quick and has some wicked thorns which when fully grown no one could get through. The trunk ends up very thick which gives a lot of strength to the hedge, and in the spring it is cover in really nice white flowers and the birds can feed on heaps of berries in the autumn.

You want to plant them about 60 cm apart and at Parkers you can get a pack of 10 for £24.95.

EDIT Steve can edit faster than me.

HTH

Cheers

Mike

 

[Steve Jones]

Pyracantha 'orange glow' would be my choice grows 30-60cm a year with a max height of 3m and a max spread of 4m.

There are several varieties of Berberies including dwarf, in general berberis are slower gowing with only about 30cm of growth a year.

Steve

Edit: Mike can type faster than me

 

[Screw Loose]

Just plant some Barbed Wire Cereus

 

[Dibs-h]

Cheers Mike & Steve - I did do a quick google and Nurseries are selling them with heights of 1m - is it worth buying the taller ones - i.e. to get a bit of a head start?

I'm toying with the idea of getting some Steel mesh - there must be a smaller version of A252 (what I put in the raft), that would restrict access for the moment and "integrate" nicely with the Pyracantha

Just plant some Barbed Wire Cereus

At 1st I thought you were taking the proverbial - then a quick Google - :lol:

 

[Mike.C]

Cheers Mike & Steve - I did do a quick google and Nurseries are selling them with heights of 1m - is it worth buying the taller ones - i.e. to get a bit of a head start?

I'm toying with the idea of getting some Steel mesh - there must be a smaller version of A252 (what I put in the raft), that would restrict access for the moment and "integrate" nicely with the Pyracantha

Just plant some Barbed Wire Cereus

At 1st I thought you were taking the proverbial - then a quick Google - :lol:

Yes Dib's its worth buying the longer ones because it will give you a good head start, you will have to pay a bit more, but you will get to your final height quicker :lol:

As for the mesh that would be an excellent idea, because it will give the pyracantha something to grow up until it is strong enough to hold its own weight.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Dibs-h]

Chaps - I much appreciate the advice & Doc - many thanks for the laugh! Brought a bit of perspective and the anger meter down alot.

I'm off into the workshop to finish a little prepping (for paint) on the workshop door and then off out for a sheesha.

 

[Digit]

Close into an established hedge will mean regular watering till such time as the hedge is established or you will lose them.

Roy.

 

[Davon]

I may be wrong here...(it has been known)

Don't pyracantha require male and female in the same vicinity for

pollination ?

Davon

 

[matt]

Bare rooted is a good way to buy if you're in a position to plant on receipt (or at least heel them in some decent soil ready to transplant soonish). You can only get them at certain times of year but I think now might be the right time...

We got about 70ft of mixed native hedging for the end of our garden for very little money a few years back - coming along nicely.

 

[Mike.C]

I may be wrong here...(it has been known)

Don't pyracantha require male and female in the same vicinity for

pollination ?

Davon

I think most pyracantha are hermaphrodite (male and female flowers on the same plant), but not being an expert, you better check with the nurseries.

Come to think of it we only had one plant in our previous property, and that grew to about 6 feet high and 12 feet long and every year it was covered with flowers and berries.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Lons]

I may be wrong here...(it has been known)

Don't pyracantha require male and female in the same vicinity for

pollination ?

Davon

Only if you want lots of little baby pyracanthi running around.

I've got a couple of large plants growing against a wall and I confirm, the thorns are lethal!
I'd also recommend growing against mesh support as suggested, as it seems to help the plants if fixed to something. also would make an almost impenatrable barrier.

I've got an old blackthorn hedge which grows like hell when it's pruned and is even more fierce but I don't know how quickly it establishes from young plants.

Word of warning - it aint pleasant cutting the hedge and especially gathering the cuttings = need welders' gloves

 

[Jake]

Plants are good, cos they just look nice and are natural.

I recommend triffids.

 

[stevebuk]

As a garden centre plant area manager i can tell you Pyracantha does not need a pollinator in order to berry.
I would also suggest Rosa Rugosa stems, very spikey, lots of either pink or white fragrant flowers followed by large red rose hips in the autumn/winter.

 

[Mike.C]

As a garden centre plant area manager i can tell you Pyracantha does not need a pollinator in order to berry.
I would also suggest Rosa Rugosa stems, very spikey, lots of either pink or white fragrant flowers followed by large red rose hips in the autumn/winter.

Thanks Steve, there is nothing like the word of an expert.

Cheers

Mike

 

[mr grimsdale]

Nothing wrong with the old english mixture - privet, hawthorn, holly, beech, laburnam and many others all make a nice trad hedge.

 

[laird]

I realise that I'm in a different part of the world to you, and we get winter - every winter - but I planted pyrocanthus some 18 years ago. It reached the wall height (1.2m) within 3 years, and there it has stuck. It sticks it's head above it, and stops.
Leylandii here will grow, but if you get above 3m the bottom goes brown, and your're left with a hedge that is levelable at the top, but the bottom metre is a browwn tree trunk, so large gaps inbetween.
Rose wall hedging works solidly, eventually, 3m impenetrable after 6 years.
What i think I'm trying to say is you need to take local advice - not global forum advice.
Talk to your local (non-chain) garden centre, maybe ?

 

[wobblycogs]

I've just finished removing the root of a huge pyracantha from our back garden. The first spring we moved in it was about 2m tall and I trimmed it back to 1.25m. End of year 2 (so two growing seasons) it had shot up to at least 4m and probably taller - I've never seen anything grow like it!

Took two full days to cut it down last autumn wearing thick gloves and throwing the cuttings straight on a fire. Terrible stuff to prune, absolutely hated the job thought I was going to lose an eye at any moment the whole time.

I'd certainly consider black thorne, I don't think it's quite as viscious but it will certainly get the job done.