How to Plant an Edible Hedge
......Or How to Have Your Hedge and Eat it.
Why an Edible Hedge? Well why not?..if you are going to have a hedge then why not let it provide you with supply of delicious fruit and nuts. As well as free food edible hedges are very popular with wildlife.
On one section of my property perimeter, I have a rather ugly section of wooden fence panelling that I would like to hide. On the other side of that is a hideous Leylandii hedge that is busy dying-off, so I thought I would solve both problems by planting a hedge that is both attractive and functional
Delapidated Fence with Unhealthy Leylandii Behind it
So, What is an edible hedge?. An edible hedge is made up of bushes and possibly small trees that produce fruit and nuts that can be harvested to provide an interesting addition to your usual diet.
Our native hedgerows are full of little treats, if you know where to look, and,.... if someone else hasn't beaten to your favourite bush!. Around here in Autumn the competition for the best Damson Plum bushes can be intense, and there is nothing worse than walking a couple of miles only to find that someone else has got there first!
Planting a hedge might sound a little daunting, but in fact, nothing could be further from the truth, It's really nothing more than planting several bushes close together in a line!
A quick Google Search will bring up plenty of Hedging Suppliers, and it's worthwhile spending a little time browsing through them to find exactly what you are looking for. Below I have listed the two suppliers that I used.....other hedging suppliers are available.
You will be offered a choice to buy either Bare-root Plants or Pot grown Plants. The best time to plant your edible hedge is between December and March when most plants are dormant, so Bare-root plants are your best bet
Bare-root Plants: These are bushes that are despatched with no soil attached to their roots. There is also usually a wider choice and they are considerably cheaper than pot grown bushes.
Pot grown Plants: These are the potted plants we are used to seeing in the Garden Centre. They can be planted all the year round, but are a lot more expensive than the bare-root plants,which is definitely a consideration when planting a hedge.
You will also be offered a variety of sizes/heights, The taller the plant the more expensive it will be, but the sooner it will provide useful cover...and fruit!.
Bare-root plants are usually planted in a staggered double row, and you will need about 5-6 plants per meter of hedge
Bare-root plants are usually only despatched between December and March. They will arrive with their roots wrapped in straw or paper, inside a plastic bag. You should unwrap them as soon as possible and soak the roots in water for about 30 minutes, then ideally plant them immediately before the root have any chance of drying out. If the ground is frozen, or if for any reason you can't plant them out immediately then 'heel them in' by covering the roots with damp soil (as in the image below) or sand until conditions are suitable
Heeled In Bushes waiting to be planted
So, What to plant?
There is a large selection of edible hedging to choose from, but this is what I am planting
1) Blackthorn: The spikey blackthorn bush is pretty common around here, but the thought of a supply of Sloe Berries right on the doorstep was too much to resist.
Check out the recipe section for our Delicious Sloe Gin Recipe.
2) Myrobalan Plum: Another spiny bush which will also provide a
good barrier if densely planted. In March it produces masses of beautiful white flowers before it produces leaves. In Autumn mature bushes produce Red or Yellow Plums ....Think. Jam, Chutney, Plum Brandy.
3) Amelanchier Lemarkii (Juneberry): This Bush produces beautiful
Star-shaped flowers in Spring, followed by red - purple apples-tasting fruits in Summer & Autumn.
The birds love these fruit and will often eat them before they are sweet enough for you to eat.
4) Cornelian Cherry: Produces masses of bunches of small yellow
flowers in early Spring, followed by dense green leaves changing purple in Autumn and beautiful red fruit.Sounds as if I might have to look up a recipe for Cherry Brandy.
5) Corylus avellana (hazel): A must have bush with beautiful green
foliage, turning yellow later in the year. Produces spectacular yellow catkins followed by edible nuts.....Apparently also very popular with dormice & squirrels!
6) Crab Apple: Produces beautiful pink/white flowers in late Spring,
followed by sour apples in Autumn. As well as making Crab Apply Jelly the are useful as a universal pollinator of other apple trees. is more commonly grown as a small tree and may need more vigorous pruning to restrict its growth in a hedge.
7) Dog Rose: This is grown as much for the beautiful fragrant flowers,
for the red Hips, which as well as being very popular with birds can be used to make Rose Hip Syrup.
There are many other plants that are suitable for an edible hedge, Blackberries and Elderberries spring to mind, but we are already blessed with an over-abundance of these.
Planting the Hedge: Now comes the hard work!. Edible hedging will thrive best in a light sunny situation. Dig a trench about 30cm deep and 45cm wide. If the soil is poor you can enrich it with manure (I added some Blood Fish and Bone Meal).
Plant the bush upto the soil mark on the stem. To get
the plant off to a good start sprinkle a little Mycorrhizal fungus powder over the roots before covering with soil and firming gently in. The white stick in the image on the left is to help mark the soil level on the plant stem.
Water well in, even if the soil is damp. The hedging plants shouldn't require staking, but if you live in an area where rabbits or deer are a problem you may want to add a plastic spiral to protect the stem.
I only thought about that too late today!
It may take a couple of years before you get a decent crop of fruit and nuts but it will be worth the wait.
If you have any questions I am more than happy to try and answer these, or if you just have any favourite edibles you feel deserve a place in my hedge, then please contact me. shearluc@rosehillgourmet.com