Hedge that can grow tall (~3.5m), is evergreen, thin, and can be cut back hard?

blizeH

Hi, after a couple of comments from guests at the AirBnB behind our house (i.e. about how they spent ages watching our robot mower) we've realised the apple trees we have aren't screening as much as we'd like, and since we're widening our driveway anyway we thought why not put something in that offers more privacy. My wife would like a hedge but doesn't think we can get one tall and thin enough, so her current plan is to put in a taller fence and then 4-6 screening trees, but that is going to be very expensive (we got an estimate of £4k!) and also take up quite a bit of space.

Are there any hedges which can grow to 3.5m tall, can be kept thin so it doesn't eat into the garden or the driveway too much, and also can be cut back hard without looking awful? We have a privet hedge at the front of the house and it looks great no matter how hard we cut it back, but the hedge to the side of the house looks terrible if we do anything beyond just a small trim.

Thank you

Alderbank

I think a beech hedge would fit your bill.
Prune once a year, can easily grow up to 10m in height if allowed.
Green beech is covered in dense, neat green foliage all year round. Copper beech is similar but the leaves change colour between green, copper and purple with the seasons so much more interesting than most evergreens.

FlorayG

No, unless 3.5m is typo. in order to grow 12ft high a hedge needs a substantial base and it's going to have to be about six feet wide otherwise the first storm will blow it down. Also if you keep a hedge this high trimmed thin you will just have the trunks and it will look awful. Also it's going to take 20 years to grow that high unless you spend thousands on mature plants or buy leylandii - best of luck if you go for that option, I'd rather be overlooked
(Also I've never seen a 30ft beech hedge, that's a line of trees not a hedge)

Section62

FlorayG said:

No, unless 3.5m is typo. in order to grow 12ft high a hedge needs a substantial base and it's going to have to be about six feet wide otherwise the first storm will blow it down. Also if you keep a hedge this high trimmed thin you will just have the trunks and it will look awful. Also it's going to take 20 years to grow that high unless you spend thousands on mature plants or buy leylandii - best of luck if you go for that option, I'd rather be overlooked
(Also I've never seen a 30ft beech hedge, that's a line of trees not a hedge)

The roots will spread to support the growth at height which is supported by the trunk - there is no need for the hedge to be that wide at the bottom as the lower branches don't support what is above them.

When is a hedge a line of trees, and when is a line of trees a hedge?

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/meikleour-beech-hedge-p2569991

Olinda99

have a look at photinia fraseri

housebuyer143

Don't plant a laurel.

FreeBear

housebuyer143 said:

Don't plant a laurel.

Or leylandii - Both are real thugs and grow up (and out) at alarming rates. At least with leylandii, pruned at ground level, it won't come back. Laurel will sucker and grow from the base, so to get rid of it means grinding out the stumps & roots.

Beech has the advantage that it can be laid for a real dense hedge - Takes time and skill to do it though.

FlorayG

Section62 said:

FlorayG said:

No, unless 3.5m is typo. in order to grow 12ft high a hedge needs a substantial base and it's going to have to be about six feet wide otherwise the first storm will blow it down. Also if you keep a hedge this high trimmed thin you will just have the trunks and it will look awful. Also it's going to take 20 years to grow that high unless you spend thousands on mature plants or buy leylandii - best of luck if you go for that option, I'd rather be overlooked
(Also I've never seen a 30ft beech hedge, that's a line of trees not a hedge)

The roots will spread to support the growth at height which is supported by the trunk - there is no need for the hedge to be that wide at the bottom as the lower branches don't support what is above them.

This is my point - by the time it has grown to that height the trunks will be huge and trimming it back to a 'thin' hedge will leave you looking at bare trunks. Unless you grow yew ( which takes forever to grow) then cutting back the lower branches means they won't regrow - hence you need to leave it 6ft wide or have it look awful - plus leaving only the higher branches on means it's susceptible to wind rock

onomatopoeia99

Will you be maintaining it on both sides so it doesn't overgrow into your neighbour's, thereby presenting them with the problem of maintaining a hedge they may not want and cannot remove?  

There is nothing simple or easy about maintaining a hedge that size, I know as I have one that overgrows into my garden every year which I cannot maintain due to my disability, but I have no legal redress to remove.

jonnydeppiwish!

Don’t forget to check with your local council as to how high you can have a hedge on a boundary. Could save trouble in future