Conifer planting

[Mr. Cow]

Hey,

Recently bought a place and finally have my own gardens problem is I am a complete novice when it comes to gardening.
At the moment the front is just a paved driveway and strip of grass. I'd like to plant some hedging along the edges of the grass for a bit of privacy. Not decided on the type of hedging yet, was thinking conifers of some sort.
To reduce weeds coming up can I use a weed membrane? If so do I plant the hedges on top of the weed membrane as this way I can't see how the roots can take hold but then how else would the weeds be prevented from coming up. Or do I put the weed membrane down afterwards?

I am thinking of topping off with decorative slate/shingles. But if doing this how do you then periodically mulch? As this would mean removing the slate which sounds like a right faff.

Also if I am topping off with slate do I need a weed membrane at all or will the slate reduce the weeds popping up?

Thanks

 

[Randomnerd]

Please consider hedging other than conifer. There’s plenty of fab choices - beech, hornbeam, thorns, holly, yellow privet, field maple, hazel - which would be beautiful. The plants might be sown and grow from local seed if you find a good nursery.
If you indicate where you are geographically, I’d be happy to suggest something suitable for the place. Here’s a good guide for starters

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/articles/misc/best-native-shrubs-for-hedging

if you are to use a weed membrane, get a good one of trade standard, heavily woven. Terram is my choice for landscaping jobs, when specified A local landscaper may sell you a bit of a roll-end. Eventually, all landscaping textiles start to degrade and add to plastic waste. You plant through slits cut in the textile, into well-prepared loamy soil. Your hedge plants should be 40-60 cm bare-rooted plants, and will easily plant into an L shaped slit in the textile and soil. Smaller plants will grow more vigorously and be more cost effective. For an average hedge, plant 8 plants per metre in two staggered rows 40 - 50 cm apart. Slate on top to dress.

I wouldn’t use textile membrane. Plant roots need to breathe IMO. For best results, I would plant into well-prepared bare soil and mulch heavily after - at least 7cms deep, with well seasoned wood chips from a friendly tree surgeon. Top up as required. A wooden kerb edge to the bed will keep the mulch from blowing about, and you could even top it off with slate to suit. And keep the mulch from choking the base of the plants - they need to be able to breathe at the nursery collar (the swelling on the stem just above the root). If you have a handy supply of cardboard packaging, this laid down round in several layers around the planted hedge with 5cm of slate on top would work.

Failing all that, bare soil is fine, and hoe any weeds regularly, until the hedge is in good shape. Plant shade loving ground cover under the established hedge - japanese spurge grows very well in shade and is a great thing to prevent weeds..

HTH

 

[midlife]

I'd be tempted to put up some fencing and plant in front of it, instant privacy plus the vista will change throughout the year. Tree would be nice. Our Stocks looking good at the moment in the bed I can see from here. OK in the winter all there is are the bare bones but at that time of the year I go to work in the dark and come back in the dark.

 

[annedonnelly]

If you do end up with conifers you'll probably find that nothing grows underneath them :-( Go to any of those commercial forest type places and see how barren the understorey is.

Get some nice berry bearing shrubs to help the wildlife - flowers in spring for pollinators & berries later for the birds. And autumn colour for you.

 

[Chief Broom]

If you do end up with conifers you'll probably find that nothing grows underneath them :-( Go to any of those commercial forest type places and see how barren the understorey is.

Get some nice berry bearing shrubs to help the wildlife - flowers in spring for pollinators & berries later for the birds. And autumn colour for you.

I was thinking of cotoneaster species depending on situation or Japanese quince which come in a variety of colours. Another option would be some post and wires to support a climber like honey suckle, Lots of options other than conifers!

 

[annedonnelly]

@Chief Broom - all sounds good to me. Honeysuckle/clematis could be allowed to scramble through other shrubs.

 

[postman]

Conifers take them out,you will thank us in a few years time.Ugly things in a few years.Plant Yew,it's a soft looking hedge if that makes sense,easy to cut,Wentworth Castle has some so do two of my neighbours,no no no conifers.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Even privet is about 100 times better than the usual things sold as hedging conifers - PLEASE don't consider them. Get proper hedge-y plants not mutant ninja triffids - or, as others have suggested, a fence you can grow lovely climbing things up and around and over.

 

[Dave7]

As above.....stay away from conifers.
We have a large garden and planted them around 2 sides.
(One of) the worst decisions we ever made ........for all the above reasons.

 

[Chief Broom]

Hey,

Recently bought a place and finally have my own gardens problem is I am a complete novice when it comes to gardening.
At the moment the front is just a paved driveway and strip of grass. I'd like to plant some hedging along the edges of the grass for a bit of privacy. Not decided on the type of hedging yet, was thinking conifers of some sort.
To reduce weeds coming up can I use a weed membrane? If so do I plant the hedges on top of the weed membrane as this way I can't see how the roots can take hold but then how else would the weeds be prevented from coming up. Or do I put the weed membrane down afterwards?

I am thinking of topping off with decorative slate/shingles. But if doing this how do you then periodically mulch? As this would mean removing the slate which sounds like a right faff.

Also if I am topping off with slate do I need a weed membrane at all or will the slate reduce the weeds popping up?

Thanks

If you could post a pic or two that would help all the gardeners/landscapers here to give advice on choice of hedging. Without seeing the site its too hard to know! Hedging can be a 2ft box hedge or a clipped line of beech 50ft tall

 

[ianbarton]

Not Conifers.

If you want something that grows relatively quickly you could use quickthorn/hawthorn. Plant about three per metre and put some rabbit guards on them. Spray roundup around the bottoms twice a year to control the weeds.

 

[purpan]

You can also develop quite bad allergies to conifers, in particular cypress. It can take a few years.

 

[Gillstay]

Please consider hedging other than conifer. There’s plenty of fab choices - beech, hornbeam, thorns, holly, yellow privet, field maple, hazel - which would be beautiful. The plants might be sown and grow from local seed if you find a good nursery.
If you indicate where you are geographically, I’d be happy to suggest something suitable for the place. Here’s a good guide for starters

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/articles/misc/best-native-shrubs-for-hedging

if you are to use a weed membrane, get a good one of trade standard, heavily woven. Terram is my choice for landscaping jobs, when specified A local landscaper may sell you a bit of a roll-end. Eventually, all landscaping textiles start to degrade and add to plastic waste. You plant through slits cut in the textile, into well-prepared loamy soil. Your hedge plants should be 40-60 cm bare-rooted plants, and will easily plant into an L shaped slit in the textile and soil. Smaller plants will grow more vigorously and be more cost effective. For an average hedge, plant 8 plants per metre in two staggered rows 40 - 50 cm apart. Slate on top to dress.

I wouldn’t use textile membrane. Plant roots need to breathe IMO. For best results, I would plant into well-prepared bare soil and mulch heavily after - at least 7cms deep, with well seasoned wood chips from a friendly tree surgeon. Top up as required. A wooden kerb edge to the bed will keep the mulch from blowing about, and you could even top it off with slate to suit. And keep the mulch from choking the base of the plants - they need to be able to breathe at the nursery collar (the swelling on the stem just above the root). If you have a handy supply of cardboard packaging, this laid down round in several layers around the planted hedge with 5cm of slate on top would work.

Failing all that, bare soil is fine, and hoe any weeds regularly, until the hedge is in good shape. Plant shade loving ground cover under the established hedge - japanese spurge grows very well in shade and is a great thing to prevent weeds..

HTH

As a professional horticulturalist I have to say that's a brilliant answer to the question !

 

[PaulSB]

Can I just point out that yew is a conifer. It's just about the only one worth considering as an urban hedging plant.

May I make an alternative suggestion? Tall grasses will provide a distinct boundary, lots of movement and colour throughout the year and relatively quick to establish.

Many good ideas have been put forward for traditional hedging plants but why not do something a little different?

 

[Kingfisher101]

Just to agree you dont want conifers, they grow like wildfire and cost a fortune if you want to get rid of them as well. Plus you'll be spending all your spare time and money trimming them down.
I'd get a fence, job done.