Escallonia
I am planning a Escallonia Macantha hedge. I have already brought the plant's. I have a clifftop garden and need a hedge that can withstand the strong winds we get coming off the North Sea. I have spent ages lifting up concrete slabs, where the hedge will be going. Now I find in places, less than a spades depth I hit natural rock. I have read online Escallonia roots are fairly shallow. It doesn't say how shallow. Will my plants be able to grow here?
0
Posts
One would ask will the escallonia plants topple over in the winds if they are shallow rooted, how high do you intend to grow them?
Thanks Chrissy. I'm happy for them to become beasts. I want a good barrier from tourists. We live next to area spotnwhere people think it's OK just to wonder around your garden. I've even had people let themselves into the house to ask directions.
I will now definitely have to build up. The nearer to the house I get the shallow it becomes. The soil is only an inch deep in places. Still anyone any idea how deep would be best?
If you are planting small plants or even rooted slips in the more shallow areas I think the roots will search out the deeper bits and it will grow as large as the root development will allow it. I'm not sure but thinking about gorse in exposed sites they start small and dont topple over because they only grow as large as they can sustain.
Yes it's a layer of natural rock. Its in a part of the garden I have not bothered with yet. Strangely there is a sycamore tree about a meter away, which makes me wonder where it's roots are. I will dig up the ones already planted and work on raising the bed to a least 60cm. Thank you Verdun.
Good point about gorse. It grows locally on very rocky ground and nothing seems to topple them.
Perhaps when the hedge grows up and knits together, the proximity of its neighbours will help each individual plant to remain upright? United we stand etc?