Hedges?

Hi,
We had our hedges planted in November, because I'm new at gardening, I have no idea if this is normal? They look a bit sparse! Is there anything I should be doing to encourage the growth and getting more leaves? We put the canes on because we've had some really bad winds. Sorry if I come across a bit thick :-)
Thanks in advance :-)

 

Hi Ali
They look ok ,ready to thrive.
Make sure they get plenty of water in the first year even if it rains.
I would give them a feed of bonemeal or something similar just below the surface.
I would also prune them to just below the fence top to encourage growth from lower down.
Good luck, and you are not thick ,you are just beginning on your long gardening journey.......we are all learning.

 

Thanks for your very helpful reply, I was thinking they weren't doing so well. Will go and buy some bonemeal :-)

 

They generally do very little in the first year or two. They'll want to get settled in and they'll be using all their energy reserves to lay down good roots before they switch focus to top growth.

With some shrubs, some people say its good to trim the tops every now and then to encourage side shoots to develop, but I'd wait to see what others more knowledgeable than me say on that before you get the secateurs out.

 

Do you know what plant they are? They are very tall and thin, and thus may not bush up well - which is important for a hedge, but before suggesting that you prune them back to encourage bushy growth we need to know what they are.

If you don't know the variety then a close up photo of the leaf would probably help.