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Under planting a hadge

lucymartin36lucymartin36 Posts: 37
in Plants
I have s tall beech hedge which jas grown tall but left a 2ft gap underneath. I can now see my neighbours legs! Is there anything I could plant in the border in front of the hedge to fill the gap?
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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,764
    Hi 🙂
    Can you post a photo of the hedge so we can see its situation and get an idea of some options please? 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,234
    My neighbour has very nice legs.
    If you trim the beech down and in at the sides to let some light in at the base and maybe give a good feed you may get new growth at the bottom that will fill out over time. That's what works for privet. I've not had beech but I imagine it would be the same principle. Probably not this year as things will be starting to slow down though.


  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,234
    Oh really @Dovefromabove!!!
    I hope you're not just looking at the legs.
     


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,764
    As if!!!  :open_mouth:  ;)

    im thinking that shaping the hedge with a batter so that it’s wider at the bottom than the top ... sort of a flat topped ‘A’ ... should help.  That’s the recommended way of thickening up growth at the bottom of a hedge. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ZeroZero1ZeroZero1 Posts: 577
    Not really sure about your hedge it's length and accessibility, it's a difficult problem, but did you know that if you put a nick just above a bud, it often stimulates the bud to grow. It might be worth a go. Also if you were to put chicken wire under,  you might be able to train some branches down?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,032
    That's quite unusual Lucy - beech can be trimmed in a totally vertical plane, and has foliage right to the ground. It's one of it's great advantages, as it means it can be used where space is tight. Has something been growing there [ and is now removed] and it's been blocking light perhaps?
    A photo or two would help with suggestions.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,234
    @Fairygirl I have seen it happen a couple of times when it wasn't trimmed down enough at planting so it grew up like lollipops. My pal couldn't bring herself to chop her whips down so far and ended up with a hedge on legs.  :D
    She got it righted it eventually.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,032
    Terrible when people don't chop their whips, ppauper  :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,234
    Downright disgrace @Fairygirl.  ;)
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,434
    The ground under beech hedges is really dry and often rather dark as well.
    Virtually nothing will grow there.
    The trunk at the bottom may be very old and woody and it will not regrow from the base.
    We have a similar problem.
    You could try ferns that are suitable for dry soil.
    Actaea rubra grows for us ...but  is planted 3 ft away from the hedge trunks., clear from the overhang.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=actaea+rubra&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib3ayZqfvcAhVHYlAKHXwrCYYQ_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=943

    How about a 2ft /3ft screen of bamboo/heather?

    https://www.google.com/search?q=bamboo+screening&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje2KO7qPvcAhUiAsAKHSv9AToQ_AUICygC&biw=1920&bih=943#imgrc=ioyHjA86uD-7BM:

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/casa-pura-Natural-Screening-Terraces/dp/B06XX72F2D
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
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