Aprender cómo plantar los Setos en tú jardín

Posted By: María José Rojas In: Plant care Comment: 0 Hit: 1686

How high do you want the hedge to reach? How often can you prune it? Where in the garden do you need it? How do you get it to form a straight line? In this guide we are explaining you everything you need to know before planting the hedges in your garden.

Are you thinking of planting a hedge in your garden, but you are not sure which species

to use?

It usually happens. With such a wide variety, it is sometimes difficult to choose. In addition, the choice you make will depend on where you are going to plant your hedge and the use you want to give it. You are not going to plant a cypress tree in front of the window of your house or a lavender bordering the garden, right?

In order to give you some advices, in Viveros González we have this guide to let you know which are the most appropriate species for each kind of garden. Are you interested? Keep reading!

 

What kind of hedges exist?

Depending on the height you want and the use you are going to give to your hedge, there are four options:

 

Borders

With borders we create different areas within the garden. It allows us, for example, to highlight a flowerbed.

Synthetic materials such as gravel, sand or wood planks are often used to create borders. However, in decorative borders we usually prefer to shrubs of low height.

By using shrubs, we create a more natural transition between the different plants in our garden. Choosing the right species, we will have low maintenance and full of flowers borders.

 

Plants to create your borders 

Lavender (Lavender officinalis)

Well known for its rusticity. With lavender you will create a drought and sun-resistant border that hardly requires maintenance. During the summer it displays its colourful flowers, and its aroma drives away mosquitoes.

 

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Like lavender, rosemary is well-known for its resistance to sun and drought. With this species you will have a border full of flowers throughout the year.

 

Cotoneaster

This shrub is perfect if your area suffers intense frosts. The Cotoneaster family consists of very rustic and cold-adapted species. During the winter it will give colour to our garden with its red berries.

For borders, we can use low species such as C. horizontalis or C. frigidus.

 

Low hedges

They reach a height from 0.5 to 1 meter. They are used mostly for decorative reasons, often surrounding the exterior of our house. The advantage of this type of hedge is that it does not require ladders to prune them.

When planting the bushes for a low hedge, we will leave a separation of at least 30 or 40 centimetres between each one, so that the foliage has enough room to grow.

 

Plants for low hedges

Pittospirum tobira

This low maintenance shrub adapts well to temperature changes. In spring it displays delicate white flowers, whose aroma reminds of the orange blossom.

 

Abelia grandiflora

The Abelia stands out for its extensive flowering period, which ranges from spring to autumn. With this shrub we will get a hedge that will remain flowery throughout the year.

This shrub blooms both in full sun and semi-shade.

 

Nerium Oleander Nana

Very used as a flower hedge. The dwarf oleander is a shrub that grows up to a meter high and that is covered with pink, orange or yellow flowers during spring and summer. It needs a lot of sun to develop.

It has little resistance to cold, so it is more suitable for Mediterranean climate areas. Like its older cousin, the dwarf oleander is very toxic if ingested, so we will avoid planting it in gardens with children or pets.

 

Escalonia rubra macrantha

Another perfect bush for warm areas and Mediterranean climate. It resists the lack of water very well and can be planted in full sun. In the right conditions, it will keep its flowers throughout the year.

Frost is his biggest weakness. In cold weather areas we must protect the roots during the winter.

 

Medium hedges

These hedges are ranged between the meter and two meters high. They are often used in the boundaries of the garden closest to the street, to act as a dividing line. Being larger species, they usually require at least half a meter of space on each side.

 

Plants for medium hedges

Laurustinus (Viburnum lucidum)

The Laurustinus is well-known for its incredible rusticity. It withdraw cold, heat, sun and shade alike, but we must protect it from the most intense frosts. It is a shrub typical of the Mediterranean mountains.

The Laurustinus flowers during winter and spring. During the summer it develops berries of an intense blue colour.

 

Westringía fruticosa

The Romerino is a species widely used in Mediterranean coastal areas. It can withdraw drought and temperatures up to - 5º C. It is a shrub that grows very quickly.

This species resists diseases and pests well, but excessive irrigation can damage it. We will wait for the soil to dry completely before watering again.

 

Myrtus tarentina

This aromatic shrub is highly prized for its ornamental value. In spring and summer it is covered with white flowers, and during the cold season it develops its bluish fruits.

It can withdraw both the sun and the semi-shade well and accepts temperatures close to -10º C. In case of strong and long-lasting frosts we must protect the roots.

 

Euonymus pulchellus

Euonymus adapts well to coastal conditions and wind. It tolerates low temperatures, but not frost.

To grow in all its fullness it needs many hours of light. It is a very leafy hedge that will give us the privacy we want.

 

Plumbago

This shrub grows like a climbing plant. It is a very popular species for its blue flowers, which remain throughout the year in temperate climates. In cold winters it loses its flowers, and below -5ºC the plant dies.

It is a species that prefers direct sun. Although it also survives in semi-shade, it will bloom with less intensity.

 

Tall hedges

Its main role is to provide privacy to our home. The high hedges are those that exceed two meters high. They are often used in chalets to separate our garden from neighbours.

For this type of hedges we usually use leafy trees and bushes, so at least they will need a meter or a meter and a half of space between the specimens.

 

Plants for medium hedges 

Eugenia myrtifolia Newport

Eugenia myrtifolia can reach four or five meters high. It admits pruning, so we can give it the shape we want.

Its leaves colour changes throughout the year. In autumn it displays colourful red berries.

 

Photinia red robin

Photinia is a fast growing evergreen shrub. The red colour of its leaves becomes especially intense during spring, making it an ideal species to create spectacular hedges.

 

Metrosidero excelsa

Well-known for its red brush-shaped leaves, the Iron Tree allows us to create colourful and resistant hedges. This shrub withstands drought, wind and proximity to the sea.

In winter we can prune it to give it the shape we want.

 

Duranta repens

This shrub, belonging to the Verbenaceas family, is highly prized for its colourful flowering. The flowers grow in clusters of very attractive blue or purple petals.

It resists pruning well, so it is widely used as a plant for hedges.

 

Cupressus sempervirens

The cypress is one of the most used species to form hedges. Its spiky shape makes it perfect for screening hedge, which also hardly needs space to grow.

Conifers absorb noise and pollution, so they are very suitable for urban areas.

 

How to plant a hedge and make it straight

Have you decided on the type of hedge you want to plant? The next step is to create a hedge that is straight. To achieve this, you just have to follow the following steps:

  • Make a line with a rope in the space where you want to plant the hedges. Make sure it is tight.
  • Taking the line as a reference, dig a trench about 40 or 50 centimetres deep.
  • Mix the soil you dug with fertilizer, so that the bushes receive nutrients from the first moment.
  • Plant the bushes, keeping the proper distance between them to allow them to grow.
  • Mater the hedge once you have finished planting it.

Did you find these tips helpful? What other species would you use for your hedge? Tell us in the comments.

 

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