spicycauldron
|
New hedging question re growthHi all
I ordered about 30 different examples of native hedging about three months ago - sloes, rose rugosa, blackthorn, hazel and so on - and planted them in the ground having first mixed in some manure as the soil in our new front garden was pretty dire and in need of a boost. But so far, only about half are showing signs of leaf development while the rest look like they've grown taller - but they're still little or nothing more than big twigs, with a few of them showing signs of nodules I take to be the beginnings of buds.
But a neighbour has an established rose rugosa in full leaf right now. Is there a problem? Or are they growing and establishing root systems first, or simply slow because they're young? If they're growing roots, I'm thinking maybe they will grow leaves faster in their second year once established?
I couldn't tell you which ones are sprouting and which ones aren't, but I'm just hoping that large numbers aren't, as it were, dead... I'm hoping for reassurance that taking their time is normal, as we're not far off the end of May and I'd have expected more from them by now...
|
Rob R
|
How old were the plants when you planted them?
If they are still alive then it can't be bad but transplanting, particularly if it is into a different soil type can be quite a shock to the plant & next year you should see more progress.
|
Cho-ku-ri
|
They may have been 'chilled' by the nursery to hold them back to extend the planting season. They should still come as long as the roots didn't dry out before planting.
|
Treacodactyl
|
I think they're getting their roots established. I've planted quite a few bare rooted native trees and shrub seedlings over the years and I don't think any have failed to take even after looking a bit dead for several months after planting. After another month or so I expect you'll see more life and keep them watered if you have a long period of dry weather.
|
gil
|
You will find that some species establish faster than others. Sloe is slow. As said, they will be putting down roots. Some may well look like sticks till next year.
Rule of thumb failure rate I have in my head for hedge planting is about 10%. Expect the worst and hope for the best. Good luck.
|
spicycauldron
|
Thanks everyone. They're two years old, I seem to recall. I've kept them well watered during the dry days to date, so on balance reading your comments I'd say I don't need to worry just yet, and see what happens over the next month or so. But the sloe... Are those the hairy-looking sticks? They've grown taller but nothing else. You're saying that's all they might look like throughout this year - no leaves at all? I don't mind if that's so, but knowing will reduce worry!
I suppose all of these will be slow at first and then after a year or two start to really take off. I hope so. The idea is to have a great edible hedge at the end of it all!
|
gil
|
Hairy looking sticks will be rosa rugosa, prolly. Should produce leaves at the ends, eventually.
Sloes aren't in leaf yet anyway (up here). They're the ones with big thorns, and the side branches growing out at 90 degrees to the main one
|
Treacodactyl
|
I would also say the hairy stems are rose rugosa, we have that as well. I bet in a year or two you'll need a machete to get in the front garden.  
|
spicycauldron
|
Haha! I hope so. The idea is that these hedge plants will form an unappealing barrier to people but enticement to birds! Sloes... Yep, now I know which ones those are! It's just weird then that the rosa rugosa are just hairy sticks while the big mama version across the road is in full leaf.
|
Rob R
|
| gil wrote: | | Sloe is slow. As said, they will be putting down roots. |
Yes, lots of them. 
Did you trim the roots before planting? I've heard that encourages root growth & have certainly found it sucessful.
|
Frewen
|
I have a rosa rugosa which after a sedate couple of years went bonkers - it covers the shed regularly and bullies everything in it's path 
|
spicycauldron
|
No, the instructions that came with them all said to soak the roots in a bucket overnight before planting, which I did indoors. Can't remember all the specific instructions but I know I followed them, so I'm not concerned at all as to maybe doing things 'wrong' - just wondering, it being a new house, if there might be some evil contaminant in the soil fierce enough to interfere with them. But it looks like most people seem to be suggesting they'll take their time establishing, that's all - which is a relief.
|
Rob R
|
They were maybe already trimmed. We always get bare rooted stock & some of them have a lot more underground than above particularly dogwood, as I recall.
|
spicycauldron
|
Well I'm also using our privet hedging at the back as an indicator. That was massively overgrown so we severely cut it back and it's only now starting to bud all over the place. We'd have had the hedge laid, only we have a neighbour who, as is common, revels in ignorance and would react in horror we know at the suggestion we get the hedges cut down sideways as it were! But there's massive gaps at the bottom where they were left to grow into trees, so we've filled the gap with other plants likely to take over.
|
