What hedge can I plant in old conifer roots

Hello,

When I bought my house there were 5 big conifers in the front garden, given that it is a small terraced house and the garden is only about 6m x 4m (ish) they had got out of control and were just blocking up the window. They had to come down, but now I want a hedge that I can maintain, but have found that the shrubs that I have planted are not growing, they are not dying but just not thriving and getting to a hedge like status. I'm a complete novice when it comes go gardening. I do have a lovely tree in the garden, so I suppose it's roots are also affecting new growth, but I think it is the roots of the conifer as well, making the soil quality quite poor.

Can anybody recommend anything that I can plant to give me the hedge I want? It does get a lot of sunshine, and if I can get a thorny hedge that provides berries for the birds even better.

Here's hoping,
Ruth.

 

No, the stumps are still there, and the soil is full of old roots.

 

I'm afraid that's your problem. Conifers drain all the energy out of the soil so if they were big, it will be really depleted of nutrients. The best thing is to bit the bullet and get the stumps out. Either with a mattock and lots of sweat or, if you can run to it and the roots are huge, a mini digger.

Chris

 

0) Hi Penny and welcome.

Once you get those roots out of there and the ground prepared then Berberis will give you a good thorny hedge, good colour and berries for the birds.

 

Hi Penny, It seems a small area and wiithout seeing where the stumps are it might be inpracticable to dig them completely out especialy if the roots have grown under a path or under next doors garden.........so dig down and cut as far as you can below the topsoil. Use a big drill bit drill and drill holes into the stumps, more the better. Pour diesel into the holes. You can use a special chemical stuff but diesel works just as well. Cover each stump with thick polythene and leave them alone for a few weeks before filling the holes. Like Alice I would go for berberies

 

I think I'd be reluctant to put Diesel onto the garden - its going to pollute the soil isn't it?

There are stump-grinders you can hire - depends how much you want to spend of course, but I reckon you need to get the stumps out / chewed-up so that you can dig the soil, incorporate some manure or similar, and provide the new hedge plants with some good, rich, soil to grow in - otherwise they are going to struggle. Feeding them (foliar or granular fertilizer) would be an alternative, but IMHO its second-best by a long chalk.