Privet is ideal for green hedges all year round. But how do you properly plant and care for a privet hedge?
Optimum hedge plant
Individual privet plants - cut to shape - can form a beautiful sight in the middle of a garden, e.g. as a spherical trunk. In addition, the privet achieves an average growth height of up to 3 meters, grows very opaque and is therefore an ideal hedge plant that can protect you from prying eyes.
Tip: You should always choose evergreen varieties. In this way you avoid having to look at a heavily branched hedge of branches in autumn.
The highlight of some privet varieties (such as the Goldliguster) are their creamy white, wonderfully fragrant flowers every year, which give every hedge a very special look from June to July. And even after flowering, the privet still has black fruits that form a neat contrast to the bright green foliage. Other varieties, on the other hand, have green leaves with golden-yellow leaf edges all year round, which also makes a hedge very attractive.
Important: Children should not touch the berries. These are poisonous.
Planting a privet hedge - This is how it's done
A privet hedge should be planted either in spring or in autumn. The privet thrives in partial shade as well as in a sunny location. When planting, it is perfectly sufficient to plant the plants root-deep in the ground, water them well and keep the water supply constant for the first few days. Additional fertilization is usually not required.
Tip: However, you can incorporate a little fresh compost into the soil when planting.
Maintain privet hedge
The extremely robust privet is considered a fairly undemanding plant and is relatively resistant to pest infestation. On very hot summer days, however, the hedges should be watered regularly.
Pruning the privet hedge
Privet plants grow an average of up to 40 centimeters in height per year, so they are cut every year in spring and/or autumnshould. And not only in height, but also in width (shape cut), for which working with hedge trimmers is ideal.
Tip: From time to time, old shoots should also be pruned radically (rejuvenation pruning) in order to promote the growth of fresh branches.