- Factors for the price of a hornbeam hedge
- How many plants do you need per meter of hedge length?
- Bare root plants are the cheapest
Hornbeam hedges are commercially available at comparatively low prices. The costs you incur per meter of hedge length depend on various factors. This includes the planting distance and the question of whether you are buying bare-root plants, balled or container hornbeams.
The price of a hornbeam hedge depends, among other things, on the size of the plants at the time of purchase
Factors for the price of a hornbeam hedge
- length of the hedge
- planting distance
- Height of hornbeams at purchase
- Bare root, ball or container plants
Currently (as of August 2016) the price for 50 plants with balls and a height of 40 to 60 centimeters is around 60 to 100 euros. It also depends on whether you buy the plants by mail order or locally from a specialist nursery.
Hornbeams are a lot more expensive in specialist shops. On the other hand, the plants are often of better quality and the dealer gives a growth guarantee.
How many plants do you need per meter of hedge length?
The price of a hornbeam hedge depends primarily on how many plants you want to plant per meter. The normal distance is 50 centimetres, so you need two hornbeams per meter of hedge length.
If you want your hedge to become very dense and high very quickly, you can plant three to four taller plants per meter. Of course, this makes the hedge significantly more expensive. In addition, you have to take out the surplus trees after a few years.
Since hornbeams are very fast-growing and increase in height and width by between 30 and 40 centimeters a year, the additional expenditure is usually not worthwhile.
Bare root plants are the cheapest
The hornbeam hedge is cheapest if you buy bare-root plants. They are delivered completely without soil and must be wrapped in a damp place and watered before planting.
Ball plants are supplied with soil. The root ball is protected with a cloth. The hornbeams grow faster. Both bare root and root ball plants should be planted as soon as possible in the fall.
Container plants are the most expensive. They are sold in a pot and almost always grow. You can plant hornbeams in containers from October to May, as long as it doesn't freeze outside.
tips
You can also propagate hornbeam hedges yourself by cutting cuttings, sowing nuts or digging up offshoots. However, the effort is hardly worthwhile at the comparatively low price for plants from the breeder.