Hello,

My name is Malcolm. I am a new gardner and very inexperienced. I live in NW UK.

I wish to establish a 15 metre row of rhododenron bushes to form a more or less solid hedge with a height of one to one and half metres to hide a wooden fence and to encorage wildlife into the gaden. Ideally, I would like to get a variety of plants to provide alonger flowering season and a range of different colours. Regrettably, i have a decidedly alkaline soil. The top soil is about 400 cm in depth. Beneath that is clay. Any advice would be appreciated.

If you wish to e-mail me at my own address plese do so on

Many thanks

malcolm

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 16:59:15 +0000, MDJ
wrote:


Hello,

My name is Malcolm. I am a new gardner and very inexperienced. I live
in NW UK.

I wish to establish a 15 metre row of rhododenron bushes to form a more
or less solid hedge with a height of one to one and half metres to hide
a wooden fence and to encorage wildlife into the gaden. Ideally, I
would like to get a variety of plants to provide alonger flowering
season and a range of different colours. Regrettably, i have a
decidedly alkaline soil. The top soil is about 400 cm in depth. Beneath
that is clay. Any advice would be appreciated.

If you wish to e-mail me at my own address plese do so on


Many thanks

malcolm

The short answer is, not a chance. Find something else to plant.

The longer answer is that you might be OK for a few years if you dig
out a trench, say 1 metre wide by 0.5 metre deep along the 15 metre
length of the proposed hedge, back-fill it with acid peaty soil, and
water your plants regularly with sequestered trace elements. But
whether they will get big enough to be called a hedge before they
start to show serious chlorosis is a moot point.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

In message
MDJ wrote:



I wish to establish a 15 metre row of rhododenron bushes to form a more
or less solid hedge with a height of one to one and half metres to hide
a wooden fence and to encorage wildlife into the gaden.

Actually rhododendron is not a good plant for wildlife.

Regrettably, i have a decidedly alkaline soil.

Don't even think about rhododendron then.

Viburnum and pyrocantha will please the birds. Hydranga and Rugosa roses
will give reliable flowers.
--
CTC Right to Ride Representative for Richmond upon Thames

"MDJ" wrote in message
...

Hello,

My name is Malcolm. I am a new gardner and very inexperienced. I live
in NW UK.

I wish to establish a 15 metre row of rhododenron bushes to form a more
or less solid hedge with a height of one to one and half metres to hide
a wooden fence and to encorage wildlife into the gaden. Ideally, I
would like to get a variety of plants to provide alonger flowering
season and a range of different colours. Regrettably, i have a
decidedly alkaline soil. The top soil is about 400 cm in depth. Beneath
that is clay. Any advice would be appreciated.


As per CH, dont bother.

Also mystified why you think this is a good way to encourage wildlife,
native UK species such as hawthorn and beech would be far preferable from
that POV.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

In message , Chris Hogg
writes
On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 16:59:15 +0000, MDJ
wrote:


Hello,

My name is Malcolm. I am a new gardner and very inexperienced. I live
in NW UK.

I wish to establish a 15 metre row of rhododenron bushes to form a more
or less solid hedge with a height of one to one and half metres to hide
a wooden fence and to encorage wildlife into the gaden. Ideally, I
would like to get a variety of plants to provide alonger flowering
season and a range of different colours. Regrettably, i have a
decidedly alkaline soil. The top soil is about 400 cm in depth. Beneath
that is clay. Any advice would be appreciated.

If you wish to e-mail me at my own address plese do so on


Many thanks

malcolm

The short answer is, not a chance. Find something else to plant.

The longer answer is that you might be OK for a few years if you dig
out a trench, say 1 metre wide by 0.5 metre deep along the 15 metre
length of the proposed hedge, back-fill it with acid peaty soil, and
water your plants regularly with sequestered trace elements. But
whether they will get big enough to be called a hedge before they
start to show serious chlorosis is a moot point.


Alternatively he could construct a raised bed filled with ericaceous
compost, and again water regularly with sequestered trace elements. (At
least Rhododendrons are shallow rooting.) But even if this saves the
plants from the lime,
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In article , Tumbleweed thisaccountneve
writes

"MDJ" wrote in message
...

Hello,

My name is Malcolm. I am a new gardner and very inexperienced. I live
in NW UK.

I wish to establish a 15 metre row of rhododenron bushes to form a more
or less solid hedge with a height of one to one and half metres to hide
a wooden fence and to encorage wildlife into the gaden. Ideally, I
would like to get a variety of plants to provide alonger flowering
season and a range of different colours. Regrettably, i have a
decidedly alkaline soil. The top soil is about 400 cm in depth. Beneath
that is clay. Any advice would be appreciated.


As per CH, dont bother.

Also mystified why you think this is a good way to encourage wildlife,
native UK species such as hawthorn and beech would be far preferable from
that POV.

If you want to encourage wildlife you need to plant native species where
you can. Their berries and seeds will be recognisable to native birds
such as finches. They will also attract native 'pests', and if you
resist the temptation to use pesticides, you will then attract the
insect eating birds like the tits, which are lovely things to have in
the garden.

I agree the rhododendrons are a no-go. I can't advise on the best hedge
for you being on satisfyingly acid soil myself. But your alkaline soil
will be brilliant for wildflowers - try to keep the nutrient value low
(don't apply fertiliser, take the cuttings off when you cut the grass)
as grass out-competes wild flowers when nutrient levels are high. The
number of alkaline loving species seems to be higher than acid ones.

Birds will also appreciate a water source - we saw a huge increase in
bird activity when we linked two of our ponds by a shallow 'stream' just
right for bathing in.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Dear Kay,

many thanks for your advice.

All the very best,

malcolm

Dear Stewart,

many thanks for your advice.

All the very best,

Malcolm

Many thanks Kay,

All the very best,

mALCOLM

Dear Tumbleweed,

Many thanks for your advice

All the veyr best,

Maloclm

Many thanks for your advice,

All the very best,

Maloclm