Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
another. Formal or informal, deciduous or
evergreen, hedges may confine a fluffy flower
garden, enhance sculpture or be a serenely
green constant in a changing landscape.
Tools
Hedging shears are the traditionalist's first
choice. They allow a degree of control that
powered hedge trimmers do not. Keep them
sharp (see Figure 3.13, page 36) and no other
implement can give you a better finish.
Powered hedging shears/clippers are
certainly quick and easy. However, it is also
easier to unintentionally cut out a chunk of
hedge that will take some time to grow over.
Always use a gentle sweeping action to
prevent the clippers 'grabbing' on to thicker
branchlets. When the clippers get caught it
can cause a sudden ' jump' and a possible
unsightly dent in a hedge's smooth surface.
Figure 4.56
When clipping your hedge always keep the
shears parallel with the hedge. Clip from the bottom up
so that cut material falls cleanly to the ground.
as to height, width, climatic compatibility and
the space you have available. Remember that
hedges above 1.6 m high will need scaffolding
in order to clip them.
In public landscapes, bar mowers mounted on
a tractor can make short work of extremely
long hedges.
If you are planning a formal hedge, make
sure that you select plants that have been
propagated asexually; that is, they are a
named cultivar or cloned selections(see
'Propagation and landscape use', page 21).
This ensures that the plants are all
genetically identical and that their growth
rate and habit will be uniform. Seedling-
grown plants will vary ever so slightly in their
leaf, flower or growth rate and will not
produce the uniform seamless wall of foliage
that is the aim. Sexually propagated plants
are a bit like having children; they may have
the same general attributes in common, but
each is unique with subsequent varying
strengths and weaknesses. Formal hedges are
all about uniformity.
Whatever you use, always keep the clippers
parallel to the hedge surface and clip from
the bottom of the hedge up. This means that
the cut material will fall cleanly to the
ground; not get entangled with the longer
uncut growth (see Figure 4.56).
Plantingahedge
Plantselection
Whether you are planning a formal or
informal hedge, the site preparation is the
same. Choose your desired species carefully
