If you’re looking for a fast-growing hedge, you might be interested in Japanese yew or Mock orange. Read on to learn about these shrubs and what they can offer your property. These plants are both popular and useful for their appearance and function. If you’re wondering whether they’re good hedge plants, read on to discover what you should look for when choosing the right ones. If you’re not sure, you can also consult your local nursery to see which plants will grow well in your area.
Mock orange
Mock orange shrubs are great for hedges and other garden areas. This popular variety is not too demanding, but it does need deep watering every so often. This shrub is best watered once a week when it’s dry. However, it may need pruning every few years to keep it looking its best. Pruning should be done after the shrubs have finished flowering, but before that, remove any broken or diseased branches. Pruning your shrub will not only improve the shape of the plant, but will also encourage more blooms.
A healthy mock orange shrub requires adequate sunlight. Full sun is optimal, but it can also thrive in partial shade. A mock orange shrub can handle six hours of sunlight per day if it is grown in a sunny location. It can be pruned every other year to encourage new stems. It also doesn’t require deadheading its flowers. If cared for properly, mock orange shrubs do not have many problems. However, if cared for improperly, they can develop several problems.
Mock orange shrubs grow well in a wide range of soils. However, they do not do well in a waterlogged garden. To grow their best, you should select soil that is acidic to neutral in pH and is moist. Mock oranges also tolerate drought conditions, but make sure to water them regularly in order to prevent the blooms from fading. Then you can enjoy a beautiful hedge that is both beautiful and functional.
Japanese quince
Japanese quince are a beautiful addition to any hedge or landscape. The blooms are spectacular and they can be pruned to keep them looking beautiful. Pruning should be done in the spring after flowering to encourage new growth. Flowering quince are susceptible to aphids and fireblight. If you have an infestation, treat the affected branches with fungicide. They are drought-tolerant once established, but young plants need more water than they would in an established tree.
The flowering quince is relatively low-maintenance. Its habit is open and wide spreading, with branches that arch outward. The pink or white flowers are borne on old wood and are surrounded by a fuzzy, fungus-like appearance. This shrub also needs full sun to flower well. The fruit is edible, and can be used to make quince jelly.
The Asian fruit of the Japanese quince has medicinal uses as well. They are a popular bonsai plant in Japan, where they are grown for their aromatic qualities and early spring flowers. The fruits of the Japanese quince are too hard to eat raw, but they are excellent for cooking, jam, and jellies. You can plant Japanese quince shrubs in your hedge as a specimen tree, if you want a unique look.
Flowering quinces are low-maintenance and suitable for most soil types. They are low-growing, but require pruning based on your garden design. To maintain its shape, prune it based on its size, and don’t forget to remove any suckers. Flowering quinces require full sun but can also grow in partial shade, and they need a well-drained loam soil.
Indian hawthorn
Growing in zones seven to 10, Indian hawthorn is a hardy evergreen plant with a low water requirement and a wide range of uses. The shrubs have small flowers, which give way to blueberries in the fall, and require little to moderate water. Some varieties grow as hedges and others are shaped into balls. These trees can also be used in garden planters or mass plantings.
These shrubs are tolerant of salt spray, making them suitable for coastal gardens. They can be grown close together for a dense hedge, or planted in containers for a year-round accent. Dwarf varieties make excellent foundation plantings, while larger varieties make excellent privacy screening and can even be trained into a small tree. Companion plants include juniper, aucuba, crape myrtle, and lilac.
Indian hawthorn does not need rigorous pruning, but it can be pruned to a shape in the spring. However, you should remember that the leaves will become dull and ragged, and the plant will develop a dense tangle of twigs and branches. This shrub is susceptible to leaf spot and fire blight, and is susceptible to powder mildew and verticillium wilt.
To grow Indian hawthorn in a new container, make sure the soil is moist and free from debris. The root ball should span the entire diameter of the planting hole, but not be exposed on top of the soil. You should also water the roots well before planting them. The soil around the roots should be moist, so they won’t dry up and die. If you don’t have a large pot for growing Indian hawthorn, you can plant it in the ground as a hedge instead of a container.
Japanese yew
If you’re planning to grow a hedge or screen, you might be interested in the Japanese yew shrub. These plants are known for their low, slender growth and slow growth. They’re hardy up to USDA Zone 4a, but not much further. You should look for varieties that have dense, ascending branches for hedging or screening. However, don’t forget that these trees don’t grow very fast, so you’ll need to consider your environment carefully before planting a hedge.
Once established, Hicks Yew hedges don’t need much water, although they do need one inch of supplemental water every week during hot, dry weather. The hedges don’t like wet feet, but you can add a slow-release fertilizer to encourage faster growth. For best results, set up drip irrigation using a garden hose. Make sure to check the soil’s pH level regularly, too, because yews like acidic soil.
Taunton yews are low-growing and ideal for a decorative hedge. They’ll usually grow to be about three to four feet tall, with branches that spread six to 12 feet wide. They’ll resist winter-burn and can help soften the edges of lower windows. As a perennial, Taxus x media ‘Brownii’ tolerates full sun to part shade, and their foliage looks good in a hedge without the added height and width.
Japanese euonymus
There are two basic types of Euonymus shrubs. One type is a deciduous shrub that can reach five to twenty feet tall. They grow in a variety of soil types and thrive in full sun or partial shade. They are hardy and drought-resistant, making them excellent choices for low-maintenance gardens. While the deciduous varieties are often considered more attractive for their colorful fall foliage, there are a number of other types of Euonymus to choose from.
A single-stemmed tree, the Euonymus japonicus, will grow to two to six feet in height and a smaller width. The plant will require about two to five years to reach its full height. When planting, make sure to dig a hole about twice the size of the pot it came in. Fill the hole with water and then replenish it with soil. Make sure to plant the Euonymus plants at least six inches apart from each other.
As a deciduous tree, euonymus is prone to powdery mildew, an airborne fungus that looks powdery. The good news is that this fungus is easy to treat, as it tends to affect the inner part of the tree. If the mildew is severe, clip the affected branches and treat the entire plant with a systemic fungicide containing myclobutanil.
Loropetalum
These tolerant shrubs prefer part or partial shade but tolerate heavy pruning. They can be pruned to shape, remove dead branches, or conform to landscape settings. Pruning should be done after flowering, between January and March. Avoid pruning during winter or early spring, because they require a long growing season. However, if you are not able to get the desired shape or size, you can always cut it back.
While these plants can tolerate partial shade, deep shade will be detrimental. This is because the plants’ purple foliage is caused by a pigment called anthocyanin, which is produced by sun. In mild coastal climates, a loropetalum should get at least half the day’s worth of sunlight, while in hotter climates, morning sun will be most beneficial. You may even want to consider planting a couple of Loropetalum shrubs in your hedge to give it a pop of color.
To keep a loropetalum plant looking its best, you should water it thoroughly once a week. Watering in the first three to four months will be enough. Once established, loropetalum is drought-tolerant. These shrubs can be grown in pots, although you should use containers that are at least eight inches wide and have adequate drainage holes. After they are established, you may need to repotte them in a larger pot or plant them in the ground.