GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

David Hill · 03-01-2014, 09:01 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 03/01/2014 20:26, wrote:
On Friday, January 3, 2014 7:51:34 PM UTC, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 03 Jan 2014 17:15:16 +0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

Most of my shrubs are double staked or triple staked in a triangle, but

stakes break, pull out of the ground, ties break etc.

Bigger stakes. B-)

Our 8x6 shed is staked down they don't break or rot. They are

re-purposed tree stakes about 1 1/2" sq and 5' long, driven in as far

as I could get 'em, around 18".

--

Cheers

Dave.

This reply is to all the posters above:

Thanks for all those kind replies: advice and contacts for gardening club.

Climate: Yes, I realize its not the Isles of Scilly! But we do seem to be able to plant potatoes about now and harvest in April (well, we did last two years)

Wind: The big problem. F7 is routine and F9 not unusual. Two 50mm by 2m stakes with twisted inner tube elastic between them holding the plant seems to work, but its ugly and out of the question for 20-30 hedging plants.

We are banking on a shelter belt of Olearia virgata laxifolia (from Trevena cross, as it happens) but they seem to be leaning a bit. I think I over-fed them and they have got a bit top heavy for the light soil. Big rocks seem to be helping.

I think I have found a useful resource...

Regards

Peter

I don't know what hedging you are using but I planted around 2000
hawthorn and Lonicera nitida all at around 45degrees, with a post wire
fence to give security and added support.
Planting at 45 degrees gives a thicker base and allows the plants to
develop a good root system before the wind really hits them, also if the
plants overlap they give each other support.
David @ a windy side of Swansea bay