Hedging disaster...

a couple of years ago I planted thus escallonia apple blossom hedge... The flowers are a really pretty smell and I love the colour.. It's just not standing up to its "hedging" title as it's very sparse is there any thing I could plant to thicken it up? Really I wanted a solid hedge

 

See what you mean.

How about some varigated ivy in with it?

 

I'm so scared of ivy

 

Thats why I said varigated, less vigourous

 

How tall is the hedge Clueless?

 

Three foot? Don't mind it getting a bit taller but have been trimming hoping it would fill out but that hasn't happened the bees absolutely love the flowers and don't really want to rip it all out to replace with something else....

 

you need more width if you can

 

I have hardly trimmed its width! It has just gone up with straggly bits and it's nearly bare at the bottom... I may be new to hedging but I know something has gone awry! I had planted a lonicera hedge and a mixed native hedge at the same time... Treated them the same and the others are coming along lovely... Do you think they are just not happy where they are or this normal for escallonia?

 

sorry to say not the best choice for what you wanted , but also looking at the picture you should of been pinching out the leaders to make it more bushey at the base as it looks like main leaders going up all through the hedge.

 

Oh




Is it too late now?

 

I will look into best time to prune as I have a feeling late spring 2013 .


I will get back to you , I remember this shrub when I lived in cornwall it was grown huge as hedging as it was great with coping with the salt spray and winds

 

Spruce thank you so much.. It does take a bit of wind (no seas spray though)

 

You need to trim it in a V shape so the bottom is slightly wider than the top, otherwise it'll be bare at the bottom. Have a look here for advice.

 

thats very useful of the week

 

Should have said an inverted V of course