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Hedgerows were used in medieval Europe to mark the boundaries of fields and farms. The English, in particular, would plant rows of Hathorn seedlings and let them grow to about six feet tall. The canes were then bent over and weaved together to cover the gap between the trees. Over time, the hedgerow grew strong enough to keep livestock confined. Hedges were not used a lot in the United States, but as sustainable living has become a focus, they are being used more and more here.
Advantages of Hedgerows
Screen or Hide Views
A hedgerow can hide your neighbors from site. Things like phone boxes and transformers can also be hidden by a properly planted hedgerow. Hedgerows are usually cheaper than fences, although it may take a few years for the hedge to mature. The height of fences is regulated, but a hedgerow can grow much taller, as long as it doesn’t threaten overhead power lines.
Reducing Noise, Wind, and Dust
Even a thin hedgerow will help to reduce noise from adjacent properties. When planted on the north side of a house, hedgerows will block the winter wind and help keep homes warmer. You would need evergreens in your hedgerows to be effective. Hedgerows also block dust from adjacent places.
Enhancing Wildlife
Lawns are food deserts for critters. Planting a hedgerow that is a minimum of twenty feet across provides food, shelter, and travel corridors for wildlife. Most of us don’t have twenty feet to plant that way, but even a smaller hedgerow helps. Birds nest there, insects shelter there, and smaller mammals will build homes there.
Reducing Soil Erosion and Enhancing Water Quality
We have all seen the photographs of the Dust Bowl with dust covering houses. Hedgerows help prevent that from happening again. They slow water down so the soil has a chance to absorb the water. Rushing water carries sediments and everything else down into streams and rivers, making them cloudy and dirty. Any water the soil absorbs keeps it from washing things away. The sediment in the water falls out in the grasses and improves the soil.
Building a Hedgerow
Building a hedgerow requires thinking ahead to the size things will be when mature. Often times we see a tree or shrub in a 5-gallon pot and forget it may grow to spread thirty feet on either side. When planting a hedgerow, the width of the hedgerow depends on where you are putting it. In a farm setting, a hedgerow should be at least 20 feet across. In town, one or two rows of plants will have to suffice.
Pick trees that will grow taller than a fence but not so tall that they interfere in overhead power lines. The center of your hedgerow is made of trees. These trees are one or two rows wide. The rows should be about ten feet apart. If you need to keep cold winds out, make sure one row is evergreen. Flank the rows of trees with two rows of shrubs per side. On the outside rows, plant native grasses, perennials, and annuals.
You may not have this much space. If this is the case, plant only one side of the hedgerow, or start with shrubs in the middle flanked with native grasses, perennials, and annuals.
Tips for a healthy hedgerow
Using native plants is crucial to sheltering wildlife. Don’t use plants that tend to get out of hand because some natives will crowd out other native plants.
Plant a mixture of species in each part of your hedgerow. Try to select flowering plants that bloom in different times so there is always food for the insects and other animals to eat.
You should plant evergreen plants on the north side of the property and deciduous plants on the south side of the property in areas that have cold winters. In warm areas, you can use all deciduous trees but won’t get the same wind break as a mixed hedgerow.
You will have to supplement the water the hedgerow gets the first two or three years. A soaker hose is an effective method of irrigation, but drip irrigation lasts longer. In drought, you will also need to provide supplemental water.
Most hedgerows need pruning to maintain their shape. You can prune the trees and shrubs to be a certain shape for a formal hedge, or you can only prune weak, broken, or diseased limbs and have a more informal hedgerow.
Picking Native Plants
Which native plants you buy will depend on the function of the hedgerow, whether it is sunny or shady there, and the climate. Pick trees that don’t get over 25 feet if your power lines are overhead. Here are several trees and shrub that will work well in a hedge.
If you live in the South, redbud trees look wonderful covered in lilac buds early in the spring. They get 20-30 feet tall and about that wide. An understory tree, if grows with larger trees around it or by itself.
If your soil is too acid for redbud trees, consider growing a dogwood tree. These trees are native to the South but can be grown in most places. The pretty white flowers can be seen all over the East Texas piney woods.
Witch hazel blooms out in showy yellow booms in early spring before it even has leaves. These trees are excellent for screening unsightly places and their extensive root systems stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. Witch hazel grows along streams and tolerates wet areas well. It will grow in full sun to partial shade.
Paw Paw trees produce a unique fruit that is edible. The trees have unusual droopy leaves that shield the fruit from the sun. The leaves turn yellow in the fall, much earlier than other trees. In spring, they produce purplish-red flowers.
We Can Help
At TN Nursery, we specialize in native trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses for every region. Give us a call at 931.692.7325 and we will help you pick appropriate plants for your hedgerow.
