EXPERIMENTS WITH HEDGES 



3 



also that tliree feet is too wide excejit for species of strong growth and for 

 large hedges. 



From our siil)se(|uent experience it would seem that the three-foot spacing 

 is satisfactory for hemlock, white pine, arhorvitae and evergreens generally; 

 also for willows, hydrangeas, sjjireas, etc., when grown in heavy unsheared 

 h(n-ders. A spacing of 18 inches to 2 feet will he satisfactory for hemlock or 

 arhorvitae in a small, closely-pruned hedge; also for large, sheared hedges of 

 ])ri\et, winged euonymus, Jai)anese ([uince and sunilar species. Average gar- 

 den hedges of privet, acanthoi)anax, buckthorn, barberry, snowberry, etc., 

 should be spaced 11. to 18 inclies. Small hedges or borders of dwarf arhorvitae, 

 wintercreejjer, box barberry, dwarf box and similar slow -growing sorts may 

 be s])aced at 8 to 12 inches. 



l^nless room is at a special j)remium it is good practice to plant a hedge 

 in a double row, "staggering" the plants, as shown in the accompanying dia- 

 gram. 'Hie si)acings there suggested, viz., two feet in the row with rows two 

 feet apart, may of course be increased or decreased at need, though the 

 figures given are (piite favorable for average conditions. 



o- 



2! 



O 



-o- 



-o 



o 



o o o 



staggered Planting of Double Hedge Row 



Aside from conscientious pruning a hedge demands \'ery little care. It 

 must be supposed, of course, tiial it is originally planted in reasonably good 

 soil — a sujiposition not always satislied in ex]ierience. Also attention must be 

 given to tlie matter of shade. Xo liedgc will thrive under trees, though this, 

 too, is sometimes asked of them. IJarbcrry and privet will tolerate ct)nsider- 

 able shade, esi)ecially the shade of l)uihiiiigs, since a Iniilding does not rob 

 the soil of water and ])lant food. 



Water is always in demand by growing ])iants, and on dry soils hedges 

 suffer and sometimes die outrigjit from drought. It may lie feasible to water 

 a newly planted hedge tiirough its first year or two; l)ut, outside of i)laces 

 w iiere irrigation is the established ]>ractice, e\ery hedge will lie ol)liged final- 

 ly to subsist on its own water supjjly. 



Heavy a])plications of fertilizer will seldom be justified. Nevertheless, 

 some feeding from year to year may be (piite desirable, since a prime jjoint 

 in hedge m.inagcment lies in keeping the plants always in a state of healthy 

 growth. I^'iir this purjxisc nitrogen is re(|uired abo\e all other elements. Barn- 

 yard numure is es])ecially useful an.l espetaally hard to come by. Of chemical 

 fertilizers those carrying ai)un(lant nitrogen are to lie preferred. A]i])lications 

 should be made in early s|)ring. Just as growth is starting (April) and 

 should be withheld after .lune 1. 



Finally it nnist be remembered, as elsewhere suggested, that no hedge is 



