Privet is the perfect choice if you are looking for a hedge plant that grows quickly and densely. If you plant a privet hedge, you will get an attractive privacy screen in a relatively short time that will grow to between two and three meters high. This dense type of hedge, which is easy to care for and extremely robust, is also called rain willow, legwood or fence bar. If you have decided to choose this plant to fence your garden, we would like to help you with some tips that you should keep in mind when planting a privet hedge.
Planting privet hedge – location
ThePrivetsdoes not place any special demands on the location. For this reason, you can easily plant any area in the garden with it. The nature of the soil doesn’t play a role either. However, as with all plants, a sunny area or a spot in partial shade is preferable to a shady one.
Care tips
If you want to plant a privet hedge, October is the best time to do so. If you are in a hurry, spring is also suitable, but no later than April. Since it still rains a lot at this time of year, you don't need to water the hedge additionally, even though it needs a lot of water at the beginning. If you plant the hedge in summer, the plant needs to be given more time to water and the water consumption will of course be higher.
Young plants for a hedge
The individual plants are planted in a trench that you dig out beforehand. A width and depth of approx. 40 cm is ideal. To ensure that the ditch and therefore the hedge are straight, you can stretch a string for orientation. The distance between individual bushes is important. When planting the privet hedge, you should stick to 30 cm. In principle, you can follow the rule that no more than 3 bushes should be planted per meter. These should also ideally be one meter high so that they will soon become opaque.
Trim hedge
As already mentioned, privet grows very quickly and densely. It grows by a full 40 cm per year. This quickly makes it the first choice when it comes to greening the garden. However, this also means that the hedge needs to be trimmed two to three times a year. On the one hand, to achieve dense growth and on the other hand, to counteract rapid growth.
The privet hedge shape
The third cut is not mandatory. It basically depends on how perfectly you would like your hedge trimmed. It may be enough to trim the hedge just twice a year. However, an important law should be observed that benefits nature and not only affects the topic of planting privet hedges, but all other plants.
Prune regularly after planting
In fact, it is forbidden to carry out cuts between March 1st and September 30th. The reason for this is that the birds are breeding during this time and you can disturb them in this way. During this time, only carry out minor shaping and care cuts. However, make sure that you do not disturb any birds. For a more extensive cut, it is best to choose one day before and after the mentioned period.
Lush hedge shrub
A regularly cut shrub grows faster and more lushly. For this reason, it is recommended, especially in the first few years, to trim the hedge frequently until you have reached the desired height. A first cut is permitted before the first shoots in spring. The rapid growth of the new shoots enables a second cut at the end of June.
For the entrance
Since privet, like all other plants, hibernates in winter and therefore needs rest to recover, it should not be cut in winter if possible. Choose a day in autumn for the final cut, but this is not mandatory.
As a tree
This last cut can also be omitted. Sometimes new shoots appear in the fall, but they don't have enough time to ripen before the first frost. The result is the new shoots freezing and damage to the hedge. As you can see, there are a few things to consider before and after planting a privet hedge.
Berries
Pretty white-yellow flowers and then berries that have a shiny, black color grow on the hedge every year. They make the hedge stand out nicely for a second time after the flowering period. However, it should be borne in mind that these berries are poisonous. However, birds really enjoy them. The berries taste wonderful, so you can also watch birds in your garden.
In the heyday
If you have children, they must be informed that the berries are not suitable for consumption. However, if the hedge is cut every year, it will not bloom. Unfortunately, you also have to do without the pea-sized berries.
As a privacy screen
If you want the privet hedge to not only serve as greenery, but also as a privacy and windbreak, we recommend that you plant a privet hedge.an evergreen varietyto choose that can offer you the necessary privacy protection even in winter. This includes the artrovirus. It doesn't keep all of its leaves, but it does keep a large portion of them.
Common privet
Otherwise, other varieties are also suitable for this purpose. The common privet (Common privet), for example, is very popular despite losing its leaves. As you already know, every variety of privet has very dense branching, which compensates well for the lack of leaves.
Ligustrum ovalifolium
It has oval leavesLigustrum ovalifolium. It can also retain some of its leaves in winter, provided a milder location is found for it. If you plant this privet hedge, you will get a plant with attractive, dark green leaves.
Goldliguster
The gold privet is a great variant. Its leaves are yellow in color, combined with green patterns in the middle. Even on its own, it undoubtedly represents an interesting accent in the garden.
Lush hedge with flowers
In summer, enjoy the flowers that can grow profusely. You can plant the privet hedge if you don't just want to provide greenery in the garden, but also attach great importance to flowers. You will also be pampered by a pleasant scent near the terrace.
Privet hedge and garden fence
You are also welcome to add a fence, which will also be wonderfully accentuated in this way. Decorate the property line, driveway or garden path in this way.
Individual bushes
Planting privet hedges is not the only thing that is possible with this pretty shrub. Individual shrubs also look wonderful in the garden. In this case, you can also limit regular cutting so that you can enjoy the fragrant flowers. Or you can create interesting shapes with a single privet plant.
Plant different varieties
Add variety to your garden by combining different varieties. The different color variations of the leaves enable interesting hedge designs. For example, alternate the golden privet with a light-leaved or a dark-leaved variety and create a colorful hedge.
