I am new to this house. The garden faces south and along the front is
privet hedge 6 ft high and 1 ft thick. I have planted plants just to
the north of it which I expected to grow and they have not grown or
grown poorly. This has happened so often that I have come to suspect
it's the influence of the hedge. Any opinions?

I live Newcastle on Tyne - I don't know if that's relevant.

Michael Bell

--

On 28/7/08 06:54, in article
, "Michael Bell"
wrote:

I am new to this house. The garden faces south and along the front is
privet hedge 6 ft high and 1 ft thick. I have planted plants just to
the north of it which I expected to grow and they have not grown or
grown poorly. This has happened so often that I have come to suspect
it's the influence of the hedge. Any opinions?

I live Newcastle on Tyne - I don't know if that's relevant.

Michael Bell

It's always relevant to post where you live because it affects advice people
give on what you can or can't plant in your area.
But in your case I think the hedge is taking all the nutrients from the soil
and they're struggling for nourishment and water in poor light.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 28/07/08 06:54, Michael Bell wrote:
I am new to this house. The garden faces south and along the front is
privet hedge 6 ft high and 1 ft thick. I have planted plants just to
the north of it which I expected to grow and they have not grown or
grown poorly. This has happened so often that I have come to suspect
it's the influence of the hedge. Any opinions?

I live Newcastle on Tyne - I don't know if that's relevant.

Michael Bell


Yes, privet is notoriously well known for starving the soil of moisture
and nutrients. It's no wonder plants near it are struggling.

Ed

In article ,
Sacha writes:
| On 28/7/08 06:54, in article
| , "Michael Bell"
| wrote:
|
| I am new to this house. The garden faces south and along the front is
| privet hedge 6 ft high and 1 ft thick. I have planted plants just to
| the north of it which I expected to grow and they have not grown or
| grown poorly. This has happened so often that I have come to suspect
| it's the influence of the hedge. Any opinions?
|
| But in your case I think the hedge is taking all the nutrients from the soil
| and they're struggling for nourishment and water in poor light.

In my experience, it's the water, not nutrients, that is the main
problem. Privet dessicates the soil under it, especially in places
like Newcastle with relatively low rainfall.

I have a neighbour's privet hedge, and used to have one, and nothing
will thrive too close to them for that reason. Cambridge.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Martin writes:
|
| In my experience, it's the water, not nutrients, that is the main
| problem. Privet dessicates the soil under it, especially in places
| like Newcastle with relatively low rainfall.
|
| Low rainfall? Wrong Newcastle, surely?

Well, I was assuming Upon Tyne, rather than Under Lyme. Look it up;
it's only marginally wetter than Cambridge. In the UK, the rainfall
gradient is west-north-west to east-south-east, and it is a common
myth that we get a lot of rain. What we get is very uniform rainfall
over the year, and essentially nil evaporation for half the year.

'Tis true, Sir!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message
Martin wrote:

On 28 Jul 2008 09:35:53 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
Martin writes:
|
| In my experience, it's the water, not nutrients, that is the main
| problem. Privet dessicates the soil under it, especially in places
| like Newcastle with relatively low rainfall.
|
| Low rainfall? Wrong Newcastle, surely?

Well, I was assuming Upon Tyne, rather than Under Lyme. Look it up;
it's only marginally wetter than Cambridge.

I don't need to look it up. I wouldn;t have made the comment otherwise.

In the UK, the rainfall
gradient is west-north-west to east-south-east, and it is a common
myth that we get a lot of rain. What we get is very uniform rainfall
over the year, and essentially nil evaporation for half the year.

'Tis true, Sir!

In fact he is posting from N-under-Lyme

I have lost track of who is posting to who, but I went out of my way
to state Newcastle upon TYNE. (Other "Newcastles" are imposters)
The prejudices aside, I see that my suspicions have been broadly
confirmed.

Michael Bell


--

In article ,
Martin writes:
|
| | In my experience, it's the water, not nutrients, that is the main
| | problem. Privet dessicates the soil under it, especially in places
| | like Newcastle with relatively low rainfall.
| |
| | Low rainfall? Wrong Newcastle, surely?
|
| Well, I was assuming Upon Tyne, rather than Under Lyme. Look it up;
| it's only marginally wetter than Cambridge.
|
| I don't need to look it up. I wouldn;t have made the comment otherwise.

Then why did you post your remark? It's just silly.

| In the UK, the rainfall
| gradient is west-north-west to east-south-east, and it is a common
| myth that we get a lot of rain. What we get is very uniform rainfall
| over the year, and essentially nil evaporation for half the year.
|
| 'Tis true, Sir!
|
| In fact he is posting from N-under-Lyme

Which is marginally drier than Newcastle upon Tyne, anyway, because
it's in the rain shadow of north Wales.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message
(Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
Martin writes:
|
| In my experience, it's the water, not nutrients, that is the main
| problem. Privet dessicates the soil under it, especially in places
| like Newcastle with relatively low rainfall.
|
| Low rainfall? Wrong Newcastle, surely?

Well, I was assuming Upon Tyne, rather than Under Lyme. Look it up;
it's only marginally wetter than Cambridge. In the UK, the rainfall
gradient is west-north-west to east-south-east, and it is a common
myth that we get a lot of rain. What we get is very uniform rainfall
over the year, and essentially nil evaporation for half the year.

'Tis true, Sir!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Ah. A man who believes in getting his facts right! Where did you look
it up?

And where do you live?

Regards

Michael Bell




--

In article ,
Michael Bell writes:
|
| Well, I was assuming Upon Tyne, rather than Under Lyme. Look it up;
| it's only marginally wetter than Cambridge. In the UK, the rainfall
| gradient is west-north-west to east-south-east, and it is a common
| myth that we get a lot of rain. What we get is very uniform rainfall
| over the year, and essentially nil evaporation for half the year.
|
| Ah. A man who believes in getting his facts right! Where did you look
| it up?

Various places, including www.weatherbase.com and www.metoffice.gov.uk.
I wrote the uk.rec.gardening climate FAQ, which is around somewhere.

| And where do you live?

Cambridge.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message
(Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
Michael Bell writes:
|
| Well, I was assuming Upon Tyne, rather than Under Lyme. Look it up;
| it's only marginally wetter than Cambridge. In the UK, the rainfall
| gradient is west-north-west to east-south-east, and it is a common
| myth that we get a lot of rain. What we get is very uniform rainfall
| over the year, and essentially nil evaporation for half the year.
|
| Ah. A man who believes in getting his facts right! Where did you look
| it up?

Various places, including www.weatherbase.com and www.metoffice.gov.uk.
I wrote the uk.rec.gardening climate FAQ, which is around somewhere.

| And where do you live?

Cambridge.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


I had real try at getting the rainfall statistics from the British
site - and I couldn't. They are well hidden, where are they?

Regards

Michael Bell

--

In article ,
Michael Bell writes:
|
| Various places, including www.weatherbase.com and www.metoffice.gov.uk.
| I wrote the uk.rec.gardening climate FAQ, which is around somewhere.
|
| I had real try at getting the rainfall statistics from the British
| site - and I couldn't. They are well hidden, where are they?

I can't remember what I got from where, but I usually got figures
from two different sources. For example, I also have an atlas that
has the information in - yes, a real book, on real paper :-)

Sorry. Weatherbase will be reliable enough, when it has the
information you want.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message
Martin wrote:

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:32:42 +0100, Michael Bell
wrote:

In message
(Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
Martin writes:
|
| In my experience, it's the water, not nutrients, that is the main
| problem. Privet dessicates the soil under it, especially in places
| like Newcastle with relatively low rainfall.
|
| Low rainfall? Wrong Newcastle, surely?

Well, I was assuming Upon Tyne, rather than Under Lyme. Look it up;
it's only marginally wetter than Cambridge. In the UK, the rainfall
gradient is west-north-west to east-south-east, and it is a common
myth that we get a lot of rain. What we get is very uniform rainfall
over the year, and essentially nil evaporation for half the year.

'Tis true, Sir!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Ah. A man who believes in getting his facts right! Where did you look
it up?

Things like that used to be taught at O level.

I put "Rainfall map of Britain" into Google and got this
http://www.british-towns.net/weather...cipitation.htm

It meets the needs. Yes? No/

Michael Bell


--

In article ,
Martin writes:
|
| | In fact he is posting from N-under-Lyme
|
| Which is marginally drier than Newcastle upon Tyne, anyway, because
| it's in the rain shadow of north Wales.
|
| My daughter lives near N-under-L It is one of the wettest places I know.
|
| Rain shadow LOL!!!!

As I commented in Email, I suspected that you were trolling.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Ed wrote:

: On 28/07/08 06:54, Michael Bell wrote:
:: I am new to this house. The garden faces south and along the front is
:: privet hedge 6 ft high and 1 ft thick. I have planted plants just to
:: the north of it which I expected to grow and they have not grown or
:: grown poorly. This has happened so often that I have come to suspect
:: it's the influence of the hedge. Any opinions?
::
:: I live Newcastle on Tyne - I don't know if that's relevant.
::
:: Michael Bell
::
:
: Yes, privet is notoriously well known for starving the soil of
: moisture and nutrients. It's no wonder plants near it are struggling.

How near is "near"? I have a privet hedge on the other side of my fence.
It's quite thick and about 9 feet tall, though only the top 4 or 5 feet is
green, very thick and woody below that. The hedge is north of the fence and
I have some young trees on the south side of the fence - about 3 feet away
from the hedge.

They've all been replanted there this year, a 3 year old silver birch, a 1
year old horse-chesnut and a 1 year old hornbeam. SIL says that they might
not do much this year anyway because of the move. They aren't dying, just
don't seem to be doing much at all - I thought the silver birch might have
grown more than 80mm in 40 days since it was planted.

Two Eucs got off to a terrible start but they were pot bound and seem to be
doing OK now.

My problem is that I never know how much to water them - the soil is well
drained and it dries quite quickly at the surface (the sparrows love it) but
there is clay, that slopes, a foot or so below the surface. I nearly drowned
a holly because it was at the bottom of the garden where all the water will
tend to run to.

I'm loathe to do anything to the hedge because it gives extra privacy from
the houses to the north (gardens are back to back), gives the sparrows
somewhere to escape to when feeding, has bindweed that attracts some
butterflies and bees, and blackberry, which I hope will also attract bees
and birds.

--
Steve

Ed wrote:

: On 28/07/08 06:54, Michael Bell wrote:
:: I am new to this house. The garden faces south and along the front is
:: privet hedge 6 ft high and 1 ft thick. I have planted plants just to
:: the north of it which I expected to grow and they have not grown or
:: grown poorly. This has happened so often that I have come to suspect
:: it's the influence of the hedge. Any opinions?
::
:: I live Newcastle on Tyne - I don't know if that's relevant.
::
:: Michael Bell
::
:
: Yes, privet is notoriously well known for starving the soil of
: moisture and nutrients. It's no wonder plants near it are struggling.

How near is "near"? I have a privet hedge on the other side of my fence.
It's quite thick and about 9 feet tall, though only the top 4 or 5 feet is
green, very thick and woody below that. The hedge is north of the fence and
I have some young trees on the south side of the fence - about 3 feet away
from the hedge.

They've all been replanted there this year, a 3 year old silver birch, a 1
year old horse-chesnut and a 1 year old hornbeam. SIL says that they might
not do much this year anyway because of the move. They aren't dying, just
don't seem to be doing much at all - I thought the silver birch might have
grown more than 80mm in 40 days since it was planted.

Two Eucs got off to a terrible start but they were pot bound and seem to be
doing OK now.

My problem is that I never know how much to water them - the soil is well
drained and it dries quite quickly at the surface (the sparrows love it) but
there is clay, that slopes, a foot or so below the surface. I nearly drowned
a holly because it was at the bottom of the garden where all the water will
tend to run to.

I'm loathe to do anything to the hedge because it gives extra privacy from
the houses to the north (gardens are back to back), gives the sparrows
somewhere to escape to when feeding, has bindweed that attracts some
butterflies and bees, and blackberry, which I hope will also attract bees
and birds.

--
Steve