Coniferous trees are very popular as a green enclosure because they do not shed leaves in autumn and at the same time they grow relatively quickly. As a solitary plant, firs impress with their layered structure, the interesting looking, upright cones and the beautiful crown. You can find out in the following article whether you can also design a hedge with these trees.
Hemlocks are particularly suitable as a hedge
Appearance and growth of the fir
In everyday use, coniferous trees are often referred to as fir trees, although in many cases they are spruces. You can recognize firs by these characteristics:
- The needles are smooth and rounded. Unlike spruce needles, they do not prick.
- The needles are arranged outwardly parallel to the left and right.
- There is a so-called wax strip on the underside.
- The pine cones are up. It is very rare for you to find complete cones on Earth, as the scales fall off the tree.
- Fir trees form branches again and again in the lower area.
Do firs grow as hedge plants?
Fir trees are very often cultivated as solitary plants in parks. They impress here with their expressive growth, which only comes into its own when placed alone. This property is lost when planted as a hedge, where the firs are regularly trimmed.
In addition, a fir hedge can pose special challenges for other garden plants. With their roots reaching far into the earth, the fir trees extract a lot of nutrients and water from the soil. The falling needles change the pH value of the substrate into the acidic range, which many plants do not like. For this reason, firs have not proven themselves as a hedge plant.
Well suited for hedges: the hemlock
An exception is the hemlock, which is well suited as a hedge plant that tolerates pruning. This is a type of conifer that looks similar to yew trees, but is non-toxic.
However, the hemlock does not tolerate dry and sunny locations. This type of fir also reacts sensitively to the root pressure of large deciduous trees. As a flat-rooted plant, it cannot withstand stormy winds and should therefore be planted in more sheltered locations.
Extremely cut compatible
Hemlocks do very well with regular pruning. You should preferably grab the scissors in spring, before the first shoots. However, you should note that the plant will only sprout reluctantly when pruning back into mature wood and, if possible, only shorten branches that are not older than three years. Be sure to prune in a pyramidal fashion to avoid bare lower branches.
tips
If fir trees lose their needles, a lack of water is often the cause. In the hot summer months, you should therefore repeatedly water the trees thoroughly for at least thirty minutes.