Ligustrum or Privet Hedging

Ligustrum are semi-evergreen plants - this means in a mild winter they hold onto their leaves and in a cold winter they shed their leaves. They bear small, white and very fragrant flowers which are often followed by black or purple fruits. They grow rapidly at about 12 inches or 30cm per year. Clipping Privet Hedging Ligustrum hedging can be cut back hard if you let them get away on you, or you can prune them little and often - tidying the odd branch. They are excellent for smaller gardens as you really can prune them as much as you like. Ligustrum Hedging Dislikes Privets are one of the few plants that are hard to spoil as they will tolerate most soils, including clay, chalk, sand or loam. If they are planted in a sheltered site they stand a better chance of retaining their leaves should we have a cold winter. Feeding Privet To feed Ligustrum we would suggest a general purpose feed like chicken pellets or bonemeal. How much you need will depend on the size of the plant. We would suggest you feed in spring and again in late summer as this will encourage new growth and the lovely glossy leaves. Container Grown Privet Hedging Pot grown Privet literally means they have spent their lives growing in pots and when they fill one pot we move them into another one, refreshing the compost with nice new nutrients allowing them to grow even more! With pot grown you are able to plant them all year round, all you need to do is prepare the hole, loosening all the compacted soil. Place the plant in the hole at the same level it is in the container, making sure it is upright. Back fill with fresh compost or the soil that you took out, making sure you firm the soil in the ground. Water it in, and continue to water in the next growing season. Bare Root Privet Hedging Bare root hedging is only available from November to February and is a great way to do a new hedge on a budget. There is a slight risk that you may lose the odd one, but if you look after them and follow the instructions then you should be ok as they are quite easy to transplant! When you receive them you will get the plant with roots and no soil. If you can't plant them straight away, keep them in a sheltered site and cover the roots over with compost or a hessian sacking to keep them moist. When you are ready to plant, you can simplify the process by placing your spade in loose soil prising the soil apart and tucking the roots down into the floor and re-firm the soil around the plant closing the gap. We would suggest that through out the winter you check they are still firmed in as you don't want they wind to rock the roots disturbing them and stopping them from establishing in the spring.