Help needed in choosing what to plant for a hedge

[sawyer71]

Hi all,

I realize this a probably been asked a million times, but that's part of the problem with the net...too much information. I don't know much about this subject so here is what I need help with.

I want to plant a hedge on the front of my property. The property faces more or less Northeast (slightly more north, not sure if that matters). My considerations:

1. Hedge would get full sun, all day long.

1. Would prefer evergreen. Thinking this could also be a windbreak.

2. Something I could keep trimmed to about 4-5' fairly easily.

1. Fairly long; 2 sections on either side of my driveway. Total length would be close to 180-200' (1 acre lot, hedge to run almost full length of yard). I mention this for cost. I assume with a hedge most plantings would have to be fairly close together 1-2'? So with the distance I will be dealing with, I'll be digging a lot of holes regardless.

2. Zone 4

1. Not sure about pH level of soil but it is sandy.

I was thinking of arborvitae but all I've ever seen of this is much taller than my wife wants. She doesn't want to feel like we are cutting ourselves off from the rest of the neighborhood, but we want to dress up the yard. There is practically no landscaping. So I appreciate any advice I can get.

Thanks, Tom Sawyer

[Cereus-validus.....]

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[cedgar2273]

what about a beech hedge

[David Bockman]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Look at Chamaecyparis, such as plumosa, thyoides, plumosa. Also Juniperus chinensis, scopulorum, and virginiana.

My personal preference might be Taxus cuspidata.

[bamboo]

Look into a row of globe arborvitae, they top out at 4-5 ft and would require very little maintainance once grown.

[bamboo]

Look into a row of globe arborvitae, they top out at 4-5 ft and would require very little maintainance once grown.

[sawyer71]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I hope you can stand a few more questions.

I looked at all of the suggestions and started looking more at the yews suggested by David. One yew that caught my eye was Taxus x media (Anglo-Japanese yew, if I remember right). I found it available here

seems to fit my requirements. Their price is 25/$75.00. Does that sound like a good deal if I can't find a local carrier?

They list the spread as 3-5'; so should they be planted at a spacing

3-5'? Or should they be planted closer to ensure a nice dense growth? If a 3' spacing then 25 plants would be good for about 75' of hedge row? Or I could go a 4' spacing and get 100' row

Thanks again for all the help.

[David Bockman]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

A Yew which is being sold strictly as 'x media' (anglojap yew) is going to be extremely variable in form from plant to plant-- not the best for a hedge unless you don't mind shearing from time to time. Of the x medias look at buying named cultivars such as 'Densiformis', 'Densi-Gem' or perhaps 'Wardii'.

It would appear Mussers is selling Taxus cuspidata ?Intermedia?, which is something else entirely. I note they do have Taxus x media 'Densiformis' and Taxus x media 'Wardii'.

Note that it will be some time (years) before you get your hedgerow using seedlings like this.