New Hedge: Weeds, Pruning, Feeding Qs

I had a Ligustrum ovalifolium privet hedge planted around my lawn this time last year. It didn't thicken as much as I would've liked in 2024 and I wanted to avoid the disappointment again this year. I've attached two images.

My main concerns are weeds. They're all along the hedge underneath. Do I need to remove these and how is the best way to do this??

Then pruning and feeding. I have chopped the height in the hope it will fill out. Is this correct? What should I feed this hedge.

Thank you!

 

Yes, the hedge will be better if you keep the ground underneath it clear (until it's mature, then privet will cope with more-or-less anything). In a situation like that, hand-weeding is the best way because you'll need to reach around and in between the hedge plants and the wall. Once it's cleared you can probably keep it that way by going over it frequently with a small onion hoe or weeding knife to slice off the tops of any new weed seedlings that appear, being careful not to nick the bark at all.

Below the level of the wall it is only getting light from one side so you need to make sure that the top part isn't shading out the bottom part. That means cutting the hedge so that the top is narrower than the base. With yours having most of the growth at the top, I think I would bite the bullet and cut it down much shorter so that it then makes new growth at a lower level, but a compromise if you want to keep some height would be to just cut down some of the branches on the side nearest the camera. Every cut will make it produce several new shoots from just below, that's how you get a hedge to thicken up. If nothing else at least cut off the top several inches to stop it from putting all its energy into those new long thin shoots heading for the sky.

 

The weeds look like Celandine ( a weed or wildflower depending on your point of view). They spread rampantly by seed and bulbs so just pulling the leaves off won't change much. If you're not chemical averse, you could paint them with a systemic herbicide containing Glyphosate. This will be taken down to the bulbs and at least keep them in check. You'll need to be quick though as they disappear in late spring. You could also give the privet a really good, slow soak of a balanced liquid fertiliser ( slow to make sure it gets beyond the Celandine bulbs to the privet roots). Hope this helps!

 

Thank you both, this is really helpful. I appreciate it.