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Privet and Long Hedges in Zone 5?
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Posted by simonbloomfield5a 5 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 11, 09 at 0:38
| I am looking to grow about 125 feet of hedge along my driveway. I am familiar with the negative results relating to Chinese Privet but I would still would like to grow it if it is possible here in Michigan (Zone5). If it isn't possible I would really like to grow something that is very fast growing and can can tolerate mild deer damage. Since I'm Looking for quick gratification (No Boxwoods)and deer resistance (No Yews) What would you guys suggest. I would prefer to find something that is fairly budget friendly since I'll be doing very tight spacing. Thanks in Advance! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Privet and Long Hedges in Zone 5?
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| simon I am not sure if it was chinese privet or not but I bought privet hedge's from one of the big box stores 20 years ago and planted them on a row about 50 feet long to block out the playground behind our house and they are still growing at that house last time I went by.All they need is water and trimm them to about 10 feet high every few years.I am thinking about buying more for our new home for out buy the road. |
RE: Privet and Long Hedges in Zone 5?
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| Simon, privet will do just fine in the Zone 5 portion of Michigan. I live in West Bloomfield, and in 40 some years of watching it, I've seen it winterkill to the snowline ONE time, the extremely cold winter of 1994, when the windchills went to -80 and the actual air temp to -35 to -40. It rebounded so quickly, though, that by midsummer, you would never have known anything happened. In fact, I personally feel it's a good idea every five or six years to wack a privet hedge to the ground. This rejuvenates it and gets rid of all of the dead wood, etc. Other possibilities would include chinese elm, tallhedge/rhamnus, several kinds of willows (Salix 'Rubykins' or Salix alba 'Britzensis', redtwig or yellowtwig dogwood. I don't suppose you know anyone with a big privet that would be willing to give you some branches, do you. Privet grows quite easily from twigs stuck into moist soil at this time of year, especially if you use some rooting hormone and make sure to keep them moist. I've started privets this way several times with good results. THAT would be a really cheap way to start a hedge. |
RE: Privet and Long Hedges in Zone 5?
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privet would make a beautiful hedge for the length of your driveway....but it has one drawback---it needs clipping on a regular basis.
I had one in my city home--we live in the country now--and hubby didn't mind at all getting out and seeing to the clipping. We had one big advantage, a neighbor who sometimes assisted on his side--but we preferred doing it ourselves.
Another hedge you might consider is "barberry".
No longer the bad boy--it is now one without thorns and does not endanger grain crops like it once did since it could transfer rust to such crops.
It is still the pretty one with its red foliage. There are varieties that still have the thorns so if you have pesky kids who like to jump through a hedge, maybe this one will interest you. |
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