Blackthorn

[Keith2202]

Hi
I've just got my allotment, first visit up there yesterday to pull up weeds, woohoo (for the allotment, not the pulling up weeds)!

Anyway the lady from the society suggested I put up a fence to keep people off, from looking at other threads:
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...nce_32922.html
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...dge_25949.html

My plot has a fence down one side that my neighbor put up before i came onto the plot, the other side had nothing, but i am slowly rectifying that by planting a new blackthorn hedge its good for the wildlife my bees and for the sloes or it will be in a couple of years when it grows up.

I think I will plant a blackthorn hedge along the main path instead of a fence.

However, some questions if anyone has the experience to answer:
1. How fast do they grow?
2. How tall & wide do they grow?
3. How big do they need to be to provide flowers & berries?
4. How big do they need to be to provide nesting for birds?
5. Will the roots spread out and take up too much space?

I'd be planning on keeping it to 1 - 1.5m high if that puts any of the above questions into perspective

Thanks in advance
Keith

(p.s mods, sorry if I should have used one of the other threads wasn't sure many people would read in the Introduce Yourself place where the best thread is.)

[Madasafish]

1. About 0.75metres/year.. before pruning.
2. To get thickness you will have to prune and train. Unpruned blackthorn grows 7-10 metres tall and 3-5 wide.
3. About 2-3 years.
4. thick - about 1 metre wide, 1.5 metres tall.
5. Root growth estimated to be 1.5 times height.

I have a thorn hedge about 1 metre away from raspberries (measured from hedge edge).. About 1 metre tall. No ill effects.. other side just into field and is cow pruned..

I keep ground well mulched but it is naturally damp - bottom of hill.


I would expect a proper hedge to take 3 years to be of a proper size and shape.

[SarzWix]

I planted half a dozen blackthorn whips in February last year (cost less than a fiver), they've branched out and had a few flowers already this year. Still couldn't call it a hedge, and it will only need minimal pruning this winter, but I think it's making good progress

[Keith2202]

Thanks, I'll go for it then

[Two_Sheds]

I planted a pyracantha hedge last year (£1 plants from eBay) and it's now, ooooh ..... 5 inches high!

It'll get there, and provide berries & shelter for the birdies, and act as a filter for the horrible wind (unlike a solid fence, which just creates turbulence)

[crichmond]

Hi Keith

When you do it dont forget to prune the growing tips to promote side growth otherwise you will end up with a very tall and thin blackthorn tree (or a row of them).

Also from the examples I planted the the main root looks like a tap root but that may be because they are new plants.

Oh and they will need watering regularly especially in warm weather for the first year.

[Snadger]

How fast do they grow?..........sloe'ly! (I'll just get my coat)

[BFG]

Have you considered a mixed edible hedge? I'm in the process of replacing my laurel hedge with something a bit more tasty.

There's loads of edible things you can use. Hazel, BlacKthorn, Some Roses, Sea Buckthorn, Barberry (Berberis darwinii good choice), Juneberry, Snowberry, Elaeagnus x ebbingei.

The Sea Buckthorn, Barberry and Elaeagnus berries are "super foods" and evergreen, and the Buckthorn and Barberry are spiny too, so all are great hedge options.

You could also throw in a few fruit trees in and train them to be hedge shaped.

A mixed hedge would have to "informal" (which i prefer anyway). If you wanted a "formal" hedge, I'd just use Elaeagnus.

Or, make a fruit hedge out of espaliers. It'd produce loads in such a wide/tall area. An Apple and Pear Hedge would look good.

This sort of thing used as a hedge:-

Do you know what espalier means? | The Garden Lady

The "Plants For A Future" site is excellent and a great resource for useful plants:-

Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons - Plants For A Future

Have a look around. I love it. My whole garden's slowly becoming edible/useful now as well as low maintenance (mostly plant and forget perennials) and good for wildlife.

[Two_Sheds]

Or, make a fruit hedge.

that's what I'm doing. We have a "no fences / hedges" rule on our site
and it's very windy.
So, I'm planting my raspberries down one side to provide a bit of a windbreak. It's not a hedge, it's a raspberry patch.

[BFG]

That's a shame.

What about a Lavender hedge behind the raspberries? They look amazing and are obviously great for wildlife, but only grow 3-4 foot.

And it could offer companion planting benefits.

[Keith2202]

Thanks for the advice.

Keith

[Two_Sheds]

What about a Lavender hedge behind the raspberries? .

I already have lavender, thanks. I don't want a whole hedge of stuff, you can't eat it

[Incy]

I already have lavender, thanks. I don't want a whole hedge of stuff, you can't eat it

Rosemary would be good