Page 41 - Simply Vegetables Summer 2023

type of barrier is, perhaps, best used for a more ornamental use closer to habitation. You can buy hedging plants that will
come bare rooted and usually in batches of 6 or 12. They will be small plants but if the ground is prepared properly, you plant them as I suggest, and you look after them well they will very quickly get away and grow strongly. I suggest that you carefully look through catalogues to see what is available but that of Pomona Fruits is one of the best around. Incidentally as soon as your plants arrive you should look to plant them but if you are unable to do this “heel” them into the ground until you are able to do so.
As these hedging plants will be planted quite closely and need a good start to
get them going it is best to follow a set of simple rules -
Several weeks before planting, clear the area of pervasive weeds and dig over the soil removing any large roots or stones and incorporate some well-rotted compost or manure if you possibly can. On the day of planting, place the bundles of bare-root plants into a bucket of water a couple
of hours before planting. Plant out at approximately 600mm (2 foot) apart unless the instructions received with your plants recommend otherwise. Ideally to achieve
maximum thickness of hedging you should plant two staggered rows approximately 600mm (2 foot) apart. To encourage dense, bushy hedging you should cut all stems back to approximately 300mm (1 foot) above ground level as soon as you have planted them.
Although not critical you will find that if your budget allows it will be of great value
if you use some permeable matting along the line of the hedge as this will not only prevent weeds growing but will also help retain moisture. You can cover this with bark or soil later if you want it to “disappear”. Cut slits in the matting where the plants are to go and then plant through them.
Good watering in the first year is absolutely vital if your hedging is to establish itself well. Keep the ground around the plants moist during the whole growing season particularly in times of little or no rain. In future years you will only need to water well in times of prolonged drought. If you are not using a polypropylene matting, ensure that you keep the whole area of the hedging free of weeds in
the first year - a mulching of well-rotted compost will help here.
As your hedge starts to establish you will need to keep the hedge trimmed unless you decide to go for a “wild” hedge i.e.,
Rosa rugosa
one that lets all the plants grow to their natural height. If you are trimming do so in mid-summer and late winter to create a fairly neat hedge line and appearance. In the early years of the hedge cut back all growth by about a half to encourage good bushy growth.
So what plants to choose for your hedge and what can the fruits be used for? The following gives a few examples:
1. For fresh or cooked fruit - cherry plums, hazel, and wild cherry
2. For jellies and jams - cornelian cherry, hawthorn and rosa rugosa
3. For drinks - elder, golden elder and sloe
Hopefully, I have whetted your appetite in more than one way so why not have a go at planting an edible hedge next winter?
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