I have been told that I must pick up all clippings from a privet hedge
if they fall in a flower border, on the grounds that the cutting inhibit
growth of other plants. I suspect this is an old wife's tale. Is there
any substance to it?

"eric" wrote in message
...
I have been told that I must pick up all clippings from a privet hedge if
they fall in a flower border, on the grounds that the cutting inhibit
growth of other plants. I suspect this is an old wife's tale. Is there
any substance to it?

Not in my experience.

Mary

On Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:40:53 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"eric" wrote in message
.. .
I have been told that I must pick up all clippings from a privet hedge if
they fall in a flower border, on the grounds that the cutting inhibit
growth of other plants. I suspect this is an old wife's tale. Is there
any substance to it?

Not in my experience.

Mary


I think it's best to shred privet though before composting it though
to speed up the process.
--
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

In article ,
says...
I have been told that I must pick up all clippings from a privet hedge
if they fall in a flower border, on the grounds that the cutting inhibit
growth of other plants. I suspect this is an old wife's tale. Is there
any substance to it?

unless they are actually on top of plants they will do no harm, the "It
will take nitrogen from the soil" statement is technically possible but
in practice never happens as there is plenty of nitrogen in the air
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On 10/09/08 13:24, Charlie Pridham wrote:
In article ,
says...
I have been told that I must pick up all clippings from a privet hedge
if they fall in a flower border, on the grounds that the cutting inhibit
growth of other plants. I suspect this is an old wife's tale. Is there
any substance to it?

unless they are actually on top of plants they will do no harm, the "It
will take nitrogen from the soil" statement is technically possible but
in practice never happens as there is plenty of nitrogen in the air


Indeed, air is mainly nitrogen.

Even so, plants cannot absorb this gaseous nitrogen through their leaves.

Plants get their nitrogen from amonia, nitrates and nitrites in the soil.

Ed

In article ,
ex@directory says...
On 10/09/08 13:24, Charlie Pridham wrote:
In article ,
says...
I have been told that I must pick up all clippings from a privet hedge
if they fall in a flower border, on the grounds that the cutting inhibit
growth of other plants. I suspect this is an old wife's tale. Is there
any substance to it?

unless they are actually on top of plants they will do no harm, the "It
will take nitrogen from the soil" statement is technically possible but
in practice never happens as there is plenty of nitrogen in the air


Indeed, air is mainly nitrogen.

Even so, plants cannot absorb this gaseous nitrogen through their leaves.

Plants get their nitrogen from amonia, nitrates and nitrites in the soil.

Ed






Plants might, but these are not plants but dead plants and its the
bacteria that need the nitrogen for the initial stages of break down and
they will take it from any handy source, later on this same nitrogen is
realeased which is one of the reasons fully rotted compost is good for
the garden (it also adds humus and many other micro organisms)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

The message
from Ed ex@directory contains these words:
On 10/09/08 13:24, Charlie Pridham wrote:
In article ,
says...
I have been told that I must pick up all clippings from a privet hedge
if they fall in a flower border, on the grounds that the cutting inhibit
growth of other plants. I suspect this is an old wife's tale. Is there
any substance to it?

unless they are actually on top of plants they will do no harm, the "It
will take nitrogen from the soil" statement is technically possible but
in practice never happens as there is plenty of nitrogen in the air


Indeed, air is mainly nitrogen.

Even so, plants cannot absorb this gaseous nitrogen through their leaves.

Peas, beans, lentils, clover etc can, I understand, and there is work
going on at the moment to genetically engineer the ability into other
types of crop in order to reduce the need for the energy-hungry
manufacture of artificial fertilisers.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

"Rusty Hinge 2" wrote in message
k...

Even so, plants cannot absorb this gaseous nitrogen through their leaves.

Peas, beans, lentils, clover etc can, I understand, and there is work
going on at the moment to genetically engineer the ability into other
types of crop in order to reduce the need for the energy-hungry
manufacture of artificial fertilisers.

Pulses fix free nitrogen (present in soil) through their roots, in
association with radicicola zoospores.

Mary

eric wrote:
I have been told that I must pick up all clippings from a privet hedge
if they fall in a flower border, on the grounds that the cutting inhibit
growth of other plants. I suspect this is an old wife's tale. Is there
any substance to it?
Thanks to all who replied.
I think now that the notion is not so much an old wife's tale as a
reasonable but wrong attempt to explain some common observations: a)
nothing grows under a privet hedge (because it is too dry and in
shadow); and b) when you look under a privet hedge you see lots of old
cuttings and leaves (because privet doesn't rot down quickly).
So the leaves must cause the lack of anything growing .. (NOT)
I'll act accordingly.
Thanks again.

In article ,
eric writes:
|
| I think now that the notion is not so much an old wife's tale as a
| reasonable but wrong attempt to explain some common observations: a)
| nothing grows under a privet hedge (because it is too dry and in
| shadow); and b) when you look under a privet hedge you see lots of old
| cuttings and leaves (because privet doesn't rot down quickly).

Yes, with one correction. Privet rots down as fast as most things,
but twigs and leaves don't rot down when they remain dry!

You will see exactly the same effect with most thick evergreens,
including most conifers, laurel, rhododendrons and so on. The effect
shows even with Cotoneaster and Cistus! Privet is in not exceptional.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.