Martin Brown wrote:
Tim Watts wrote:
Hi,

I've got good topsoil (6-12") on top of heavy clay (Sussex), reasonable
drainage. Having just chopped a 10' hawthorn hedge down to 3' for now[1],
I'm looking to start planting a new hedge between the hawthorn trunks and
take the hawthorn out when the new plants start to establish.

Are there likely to be any problems with my top 3 choices so far:

Box,

The prunings of box are an irritant after a short while fermenting.

Yew,

Yew is poisonous in all parts. Not a good choice on a field boundary.
Both of the above are rather slow growing.

Most parts - the flesh round the seeds is edible.

The seeds are deadly...

Beech.

Nice appearance and the golden brown leaves stay on in the winter. It is
a slight martyr to whitefly in some years.

Don't let the beech grow too high, or it *WILL* lose its leaves.

You should also consider cotoneaster (deciduous) but fairly dense.
Loicera nitida is fairly well behaved as a hedge.

I beg to differ. It's weak and bendy, and falls over of its own accord.
After you've put it up again, the wind will coe and play with it.

It's OK if it's supported with (say) hawthorn...

I'd also have holly and pyracantha if I was starting from scratch, but
you say you don't like spiky things. I'd also be tempted to put crab
apple, rosa rugosa and blackthorn in as well.

Pyracantha tends to sulk, and die, slowly. Having aid that, when I was
an anklebiter we had a short pyracanth hedge beside the conservatory,
and that only died when the extension was built where it had been.

Good for winter birds.

I might plant a hybrid hedge - I rather fancy crafting an arch in the
coming
years over a pedestrian gate and I heard yew is good for that. Bit of
beech
might make for some colour. May not bother with the box.

Any thoughts most welcome

Chunks of the same plant for about 6-8 feet look good

BTW I hate spiky plants...

Pity there are some nice ones, and they are stock proof!

And maybe more importantly, child and yoofproof. (Especially berberis of
many sorts.)

If you're anywhere near Norfolk and want to ignore my comments about it,
I can give you loads of rooted bits of Lonicera nitida.

The only use I'd have for it is rapid bonsai.

--
Rusty