Conifers are extremely robust and undemanding. Nevertheless, they need a lot of care, especially in the first few weeks, so that they can develop splendidly.
With the exception of the larch, whose foliage turns red in autumn and disappears in the winter months, the conifers are among the evergreen plants. They are therefore particularly suitable as privacy screens or as hedges.
In and of themselves, you can call conifers undemanding, but you still need to take care of them a little. In this article you will find out what is particularly important to note.
» Conifers must grow and thrive
If you plant new conifers, you will usually see a miserable picture at first. The young plants are small, the planting distance seems far too large and your hedge is anything but opaque. However, that will pass after a few years.
Even in the first growth period after growth, the individual plants enlarge and approach the conifers on their side. Once the hedge is formed, you hardly have to worry about maintenance. The following tips are important:
- Do not let the soil dry out
- fertilize with conifer fertilizer from time to time
- Always cut back in spring
- do not hurt old wood
» Proper care for conifers in hedges
As already mentioned, conifers prove to be particularly valuable for hedges or as privacy screens. Since the plants don't go bare even in winter, they enliven the garden even in the dreariest winter months and protect you from prying eyes.
However, your hedge will only look attractive if you take care of it and take care of it from time to time. Conifers grow quite quickly and tall, so regular pruning is important.
» Warning: The height of your hedge is determined by your region or county regulations. Do not exceed the maximum height and use a hedge for delimitation purposes to ensure that sidewalks are not overgrown and the street remains visible.
Plan enough space for the conifers
In order for you to succeed in forming a hedge of conifers right from the start, you shoulddon't go about planting haphazardly.
Think carefully about which stretch you want to plant with conifers and calculate how many young plants you need. The ideal planting distance is between 0.5 and two meters, depending on the type of conifer and size when planting. You get an opaque hedge if you plant a maximum of three conifers per meter.
» Tip: Do not place the coniferous hedge directly at the border as a privacy screen from the neighbors. You'll need to cut these back regularly and should still have enough wiggle room so you don't have to step on the neighboring property.
Pruning wild coniferous hedges only if necessary
You don't have to constantly straighten wild conifer hedges, you can simply let the growth run its course. However, such hedges tend to become very bulky and overshadow sidewalks. So watch the growth and cut back conifers that are too wild in spring.
Targeted cutting of pruning hedges
Pruning hedges require a little more effort. You always have to cut these specimens back in spring and adjust the height and width of the individual conifers. A trim is due at least once a year.
» Important: When pruning back, you can easily remove excess foliage from the conifer. Only the old wood that forms near the trunk must not be damaged.
After pruning, don't be surprised if the conifers look brown and miserable. Old wood, which no longer has any green twigs, always forms towards the trunk. It will be visible after pruning, but new branches will quickly form, bringing your hedge back to its full glory.