On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 17:23:17 +0000, Sarah wrote:
I have a 2 metre high pyracantha hedge which I need to thicken up as
its on the boundary between my garden and the main road.
Is this possible at all, I'm happy to lose some height if needs be.

Yes, it is indeed possible, although it will take some work and some time
to achieve.

If your hedge is really thin, you can buy in additional plants, and run a
second row in behind or in front of the main hedge, so that it grows up
and into it, and thickens the hedge. With this arrangement, it does get
very difficult pruning the old hedge while the new hedge is growing.

Assuming you hedge is just needs thickening up - try the following

1) Shorten it to about 6 - 12 inches below your desired final height.
2) Trim any sideways growth that is too wide to 6 inches inside your
desired final width.
3) Make sure when doing 1) and 2) that the overall side on profile of your
hedge looks like a capital A. The bottom of the hedge should be wider than
the top of the hedge so that it gets light.
4) Feed the hedge - give it a good 6 inch deep mulch of well rotted
manure.
5) Prune the hedge reguarly. I thickened up a privet hedge over a couple
of years - but that grows much fater in the summer - I was trimming that 3
- 4 times between spring and autumn to keep it in shape. Do not let the
hedge grow bigger than your planned size and shape.

6) Keep feeding the hedge whilst its growing.


What I have found is that the pruning of the hedge encourages it to throw
new branches, and thicken up. If you constantly keep the height and width
under control, the hedge will eventually respond by growing where you want
it to, rather than where it wants to.

Feeding is very important when trying to encourage a hedge to put on more
than normal additional growth - this gives it the wherewithall to put on
the extra growth. When the hedge has got to the size and shape you want,
cut back the feeding to once a year, so that it doesn't then go into manic
mode on you!

HTH, Sarah