How to choose and care for a hedge for your Northwest garden

Because more people are staying home and enjoying their outdoor space, there has been an increase in interest in hedging plants to create privacy and also to define different parts of the landscape.

A newer idea for hedging plants is to grow five to seven plants as one segment and sell them in segments for an “instant hedge.” I recently interviewed Stephanie Pratt, who works for the wholesale trade growing InstantHedge (retail orders at coniferkingdom.com) to get her take on the growing popularity of green screens and living walls.

Q. What are the most popular hedges for Northwest gardens?

Stephanie Pratt: The Green Mountain Boxwood MiniHedge are extremely popular for low borders and knot gardens. For taller hedges, all the laurels (English, Schip and Portuguese) are very popular for privacy hedges. If you want seasonal color, then European beech is the best even though it is deciduous and loses it leaves. The most popular hedge of all is Green Giant arborvitae for a fast growing privacy hedge.

Q. What are tips for growing the popular boxwood in Western Washington?

Stephanie Pratt: The Green Mountain boxwood is a very popular evergreen because they are deer proof and easy to maintain. We ship them already shaped in hedge form so if you want to keep them a certain size you just need to prune lightly once a year.

Q. When should boxwood and other hedges be pruned?

Stephanie Pratt: Prune in late spring or early summer. Avoid pruning in late summer or fall. (Pruning too early means new growth can be damaged by frost, and pruning in late summer or fall can encourage new growth that will be damaged in winter.)

Q. What about the dreaded Boxwood Blight?

Stephanie Pratt: Boxwood Blight is a big concern on the East Coast where the weather is more humid (boxwood blight has also killed centuries-old boxwood hedges throughout England) and we are seeing some signs of this fungal infection in the Pacific Northwest. Here are the keys to preventing Boxwood Blight and any other fungal infection on your hedges:

• Dispose of trimmings in the trash not in the compost pile if you see any brown or yellowing foliage that could indicate blight.
• Mulch around the base of shrubs to cover any leaf debris that falls after pruning and after you collect as many of the pruning crumbs as you can. Covering the old leaf litter with fresh mulch helps to prevent the spread of fungal spores.
• Water with drip irrigation rather than overhead watering. Keeping water off of the foliage of any hedge will help to discourage disease.
• Keep your plants healthy with fertilizer and watering as needed. Stressed plants are more susceptible to disease.
• If you see any signs of infection (brown leaves, black tipped leaves, falling leaves), be sure to sanitize pruning shears with a 70% alcohol solution to prevent spreading the disease to the entire hedge when pruning.
• If you are investing in boxwood, buy only healthy looking plants from wholesale nurseries and growers that take part in the Boxwood Blight Cleanliness program. When shopping at retail nurseries, check any shrubs for leaf spots or falling leaves in the middle or at the base of the plant before bringing it home.

Hedges are great investments in landscapes but unless you invest in taller plants (such as the Green Giant arborvitae), they do take time to grow to a size that provides privacy, shade or wind block. Impatient gardeners may want to invest in a fence or support structure that can be covered with a quick growing vine.

This story was originally published July 11, 2020 at 5:45 AM.