How to Plant a Formal Hedge

A formal hedge can distinguish your property from neighbors and offer a modicum of privacy for your home. While formal hedges do require a little more work than their informal counterparts, the resulting appearance is well worth any time spent maintaining them.

Items You Will Need

• Tape measure
• String
• Stakes
• Hammer
• Shovel
• Plastic
• Plants
• Mulch

Select the plant to be used for your hedge. There are several options. Yew is a popular choice because it's easy to grow and not prone to a lot of problems that may plague other plants. A needled evergreen, it works well in sun or shade provided soil is well drained. It has a dark green color with red berries appearing in fall and grows as high as 20 feet tall.

Arborvitae is another evergreen choice. It requires a little more care than the yew. It requires rich, moist soil, but can grow in medium shade to full sun. It has slow growth, but can reach heights of 60 feet. It comes in bright to dark green and yellow green. If you select arborvitae for your hedge, keep an eye out for symptoms of bagworm infestation. Employees at your local nursery can suggest other options for a formal hedge that will work in your soil and climate.

Measure at least half the width of a mature tree from the property line. This is a necessary step. Otherwise, your hedge may begin encroaching on your neighbor's property or onto the sidewalk or road as it grows.

Use the stakes and string to mark a line where you plan to plant your hedge. You want to be sure the line is as straight as possible. If your property line is consistently straight, you may want to measure over from the property line at several points to ensure an even appearance.

Remove any existing grass or plants from the area you plan to plant your hedge. These can take away water and soil nutrients from your hedge. They will also give your hedge

Dig a trench along the stringed line. The trench should be slightly deeper than the root ball of the plant you're using in your formal hedge.

Prepare soil. Lay a piece of thick plastic in the trench and punch holes in the plastic. This will reduce the amount of weeds that can come up.

Place plants in trench. While you may be tempted to put them close together, remember that they will grow so it's best to leave some space between them. Once you have determined the best spacing for your plants, replace the soil you removed. Once soil is replaced, tap down the surface with the shovel or your shoe, but try not to make the soil too firm. Ideally, you want the plant to stay in place, but you don't want the surface so hard that the roots have difficulty spreading out.

Add fertilizer or plant nutrients if desired. Water the soil thoroughly and cover the area with mulch. The mulch layer will help stop any weeds that make their way through the plastic and help your plant retain water.

Sources:

http://www.essortment.com/all/howtoplanthed_rqqa.htm

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-plant-a-hedge/index.html