[Brendankearns]

Hi,

I planted a young bare root privet hedge 2 years ago and whilst it is still alive it's not really as big and bushy as i thought it would be after 2 years. I do feed it in spring and summer but still it's not knitted together. Also with being on an exposed site the leaves have dropped off this year from the smaller plants which I read is normal until the hedge is more estblished. Weeds are also competing with the hedge - is this bad and should i be wedding between the plants? Also the soil might not be the greatest but privet shouldn't need a good soil as it's a hrady plant. Does anyone have any tips that i can use to help the hedge get better estblished?

Thanks and Merry Christmas
Brendan

[Good guy]

Any young hedge is going to struggle if it has to compete with hungry grasses for water, nutrients and light. Do your best to remove ALL weeds from the base of the hedge - aim to leave 300mm clear on each side of the stems. Then cover the weed free ground with polythene and mulch with gravel to hold the plastic in place. It might be worth applying a slow acting fertiliser such as bone meal before laying down the plastic.
Next season you should see much improved growth. Don't be afraid to cut the hedge quite short. Done early, this should ensure close, thick growth from the base.
Eventually, the gravel mulch will be invisible beneath a thick, thriving hedge!

[Brendankearns]

Thanks Good Guy.

[tippben]

Privet is semi-evergreen, meaning that it will always have leaves, but will always lose some each winter. If it isn't thriving after two years, maybe it was planted too deep? The root collar (the place where the main stem turns into the first roots) should be at the soil surface. If deeper, the plant will exhibit the symptoms you describe, due to root suffocation. If that's the case, lift and replant them now. If not, follow the good advice given by my fellows.

[Brendankearns]

Thank you for the help, it's much appreciated.