Rapid growing hedging suggestions?

[scotsmart]

Having a serious need to fence in our boundaries for privacy as well as to keep our beloved escapee King Charles puppy in our garden we have been exploring the possibilities of planting a rapid growing hedge as an alternative to rather more costly wooden fencing ( we have over parts of it rather ugly cattle type council wire fencing which we further wish to cover in other areas likes of in the front roadside gardens) so would wish to find a root to solve this anyway, a lot of the posts are rotten through and require replacing also, so in the main total replacement would be the sensible option throughout ? before we layout our veg and other parts of the gardens.....

So i thought i would price hedging plants of the rapid or at least quick growing varieties? but was horrified to note that to cover the required area it would cost metre for metre not far off what new wood would?

So does anyone know where i could obtain really cheaply rooted hedging cuttings or have any cheap, clever suggestions that could save us the required £1000's otherwise before we even start on setting up/out a SS garden plot?

Any help, guidance or advice would be gratefully received


Slanj

[John Headstrong]

I vote for bodge vs total replacement.

gaps in hedges can be repaired,slam in more posts, let the old ones rot. hawthorn does grow quickly but will still need protection of a fence for the first few years, you also need to 'encourage' hawthorn to become a hedge by weaving branches together, welding gloves are good for this :)
Willow grows very fast and can sprout from cuttings, it needs to be hacked back and/or weaved regularly, you can let some bits get quite long before cutting down and then become useful for bodging other bits of the garden !

I also know of a hedge that was re-created with broken pallets, willow whips and bramble bushes (many because that was what was in the way or could be found) 3 years later it is was a very productive hedge, it totally kept the cows out (the original reason for him wanting a hedge) the Hawthorns had recovered and set seed within the pallet blocks, which he uses the saplings he finds to repair other hedges. The willow gets a severe hair cut every 2 years and gets reused around the place.

Think of the hedge like another part of the garden, get fruit growing in there, grow useful trees in there, the wildlife will love you for it.

[scotsmart]

Yeah good advise generally but a King Charles puppy, the main reason for needing/wanting it secure only stands about a foot ? and gets through or under the current in places stock fencing? rendering it totally useless! so with regret whilst possibly a cure much later should i need it at present it would be no good.

Sadly we require something way more rapid than any of that we have gaps of several foot or more in a lot of places along the front fencing onto a busyish b road, besides i doubt the council would allow a hotch potch of pallets etc some how whether i would or not, im a great beleiver in keeping the front tidy and normal and the back as the heart, the working area if you like.... (having experienced severe neighbour issues previously not willing to up set them or councils im afraid!


Any other suggestions ?

[Thomzo]

I've got lonicera hedging all around my garden, which strikes really easily from cuttings so it's cheap. It grows quickly, so expect to have to trim it at least twice a year. It's lovely and dense, but, like any hedge, it won't keep a puppy (or in my case a chicken) in. I think you'll struggle to find a hedge that will keep a puppy in on it's own in less than the time it takes the puppy to get too old to jump over it.

Personally, I think you need to fence the dog in, either to a small area of the garden, or by putting a simple post and wire fence around for now and growing something through it as John suggested.

Zoe

[John Headstrong]

Chicken wire would do the job, If you are not keeping cows out and just a puppy in it will do the job. I can't remember where I got mine from but I have had it for 5 years, still looks the same, some I have used in a permanent fence in the chicken paddock and other bits are moved and reused to keep dogs and children out/in.

Chicken wire is quite cheap and a puppy is lightweight so it can use slightly thinner posts than you would for a anti cow/horse fence. For the bottom against the ground I used old tent pegs until the grass grew around the fence.

For the front if you are looking for a neater look then thicker posts with wire pulled tight or make a 2 bar fence and staple the chicken wire to it would be the cheapest neat option.

[scotsmart]

Thanks guys, got chicken wire on order, awaiting delivery but want to go the hedge route longterm as much neater and tidier for sure, dont wish to make my home appear to be to farm like at least not at the front

I am hoping then to utalise the chickem wire between posts with a hedge of muli hedging plants growing on its outer sides that will end up if it goes to plan with the chicken wire inbetween it and thus protecting the bottom parts that even in the most dense hedges become opened as a King Charles realistically will never become that big?.


Any further suggestions on radid growing hedging, ways to take cuttings etc, etc appriciated.


Slanj


Ps Like the tent peg idea i will be using that for sure just going now to seek the cheapest suppliers of a load to make good her escapes to go along with the 50mtrs of chicken wire we have ordered

[Flo]

Russian Vine otherwise known as Mile a Minute. Needs something to grow over so any fence you erect is good.

[scotsmart]

Thanks for that my friend, it would mostly have supports of some type whether chicken wire or whatever so it wouldnt be an issue i dont think as we must keep our escapee in whilst and after the hedge has grown......

Good suggestion though keep them coming im waining towards multiple plants though to give a more "cottage garden" feel at least to the front facing ones but also as a multi habitat for birds etc


For now

Slanj

[Green Aura]

I'm afraid it's not particularly fast growing (or at least it isn't up here with all the high winds) but we planted a nature hedge when we moved in. tI consists of hawthorn, rose, birch, beech, holly (which I didn't particularly want but it came with the mix), blackthorn, sea buckthorn and we've added a couple of field maples and some willow.

Every part of it is useful for food, insect housing/feeding or fuel.

If you're going to put in hedging give it some thought first. It isn't cheap and you want it to last not just your lifetime! Like the others have said there's little that will restrict your puppy other than chicken wire, so I suggest you get that sorted then take a bit of time to decide what function you want your hedge to perform. Something rapid growing, which won't address your current needs might become an absolute nightmare in a few years time.

[scotsmart]

Maggie
I know what you mean, as i say chicken wire option is ordered (awaiting delivery but up here everything takes twice as long and today ordered 100 tent pegs which ought to do it all trust its more important that at the font/side its kept cottage gardenish, roses round the front door etc so not sure what to do with it as a hedge to high would fully ruin our superb views over the spectacular head of the River Morar & The Silver Sands there-off so its a balancing act to get it right and one we want to get right first time

Where as the rear garden its more to keep pup in (accept what your all saying but CW in hedging will solve future issues with her im sure) so its really then just as a windbreak, for wildlife and privacy to be honest so most things rapid growing would likely suffice in this case although the front probably does need more thought..


Many thanks for your valuable points all taken on board for sure.


Slanj

[scotsmart]

Btw, for the required areas involved mainstream nurseries were quoting in excess of £2k for enough plants at 2ft to make said hedge ....... certainly not cheap for sure ..... there absolutely has got to be a cheaper, better method ....

[Green Aura]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mixed-Native- ... 5ae263d302

[scotsmart]

Maggie
Rushed comment im afraid storms raging, power again coming and going ah the joys of Scottish Highland life

Anyways many thanks that has probably and possibly halved my £2k in one foul swoop


Slanj


ps. an idea how easy it would be to take cutting from such species, (really fancy box or something low and a bit fancier at the front though ...)

[Henwoman]

I used to live in Cornwall, which I appreciate is probably a very different climate from your area. We grew escallonia from cuttings to screen a summerhouse from the main garden area. It grew very quickly and had white and pink flowers, some of the plants were also variegated. If it would grow in your area (it can tolerate well a salty wind - don't know if you're near the sea) it's a very attractive hedge. You could start with a 30-45cm fence of chicken wire at the bottom to stop your little dog going through and the escallonia plants will soon cover that, within the first year certainly.

[scotsmart]

Many thanks for that i will most certainly look into that solution sounding certainly far more attractive a proposition certainly a far smarter to look at solution for our front gardens ...


Slanj