Hornbeam Hedge Questions

[Susan BBPM]

I'm in fairly urgent need of a privacy screen (nosey neighbour). We have a 6 foot boundary fence and my plan is to plant a hornbeam hedge about 3-4 feet in from the boundary fence. My intention would be to keep it clipped in hard on the fence side, leaving me an access corridor to maintain my fence.

The other side of the hedge would get full sun - south facing. I would want to keep the hedge fairly narrow - perhaps 2 foot thick.

Questions:

1. Any problems with the above?
2. What size bareroot trees should I buy? I'm thinking of 60 - 90 cm - I'm guessing they'll establish better than bigger plants?
3. If I did go for 60 - 90cm - how long would it take for the hedge to get to 6 - 7 foot tall?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have an inherited hornbeam hedge one side, it is a bit thin as a privacy screen, maybe because of poor maintenance, it has improved since I have been cutting it. Have you considered mixing in a few other things like hawthorn, oak, beech, holly, ash etc. Maybe even a few more unusual ones like a gelder rose? They say with a natural hedge you can tell the age by the number of species, 50 years for each one. I am introducing things, my hedge has already aged a couple of hundred years.

 

[Susan BBPM]

I have an inherited hornbeam hedge one side, it is a bit thin as a privacy screen, maybe because of poor maintenance, it has improved since I have been cutting it. Have you considered mixing in a few other things like hawthorn, oak, beech, holly, ash etc. Maybe even a few more unusual ones like a gelder rose? They say with a natural hedge you can tell the age by the number of species, 50 years for each one. I am introducing things, my hedge has already aged a couple of hundred years.

That had been my original plan, but the reason I am thinking hornbeam only is because I need to keep the hedge quite narrow. Hornbeam apparently is very happy to be clipped quite hard. If you do that to some of the others you mention you won't get berries and flowers. We do have a mixed hedgrow along the back of the garden with most of the plants you mention.

 

[suseee]

yes it will be fine. it will take a couple of years to get going.