10 Best Evergreens for Hedges and Privacy Screens

Tips for Growing Evergreen Hedges

• Evergreens that grow rapidly may require trimming as often as once a month during the growing season in order to maintain an attractive even appearance. Trimming once annually in spring is sufficient to keep a slow growing hedge in tip-top shape.
• While a rapidly growing hedge can form a screen as quickly as two years, be prepared to trim frequently to achieve and maintain the shape and size desired.
• Measure the desired height and width of the border you want to create and take your measurements along to the garden center. When choosing plants, make note of their mature size and width to help you decide how many plants you'll need. Plants tags often give a suggestion for adequate spacing.
• When planting your living screen, do not plant in a straight line. Instead, zigzag the trees to give a fuller affect and to allow the trees to get air and sun. This also helps the hedge give with the wind, preventing breakage and wind tunnels.

Trimming Evergreen Hedges

Trimming your evergreen hedge is not just important for achieving and maintaining a uniform, attractive appearance. Dense branching and foliage are features that make allowing for adequate air circulation key to the health of your border.

How to Trim

Think of each plant in the hedge as an individual shrub. Each should have it's own growing space without excessive crossing of branches with it's neighbor. Thin the interior or center of each shrub to eliminate large crossing branches.

To create a simple uniform shape with squared or rounded edges, trim the sides before reducing top growth. This also helps prevent a narrow base with a flared top, which can leave unsightly gaps between plants. Trim the sides of the hedge down to where woody growth begins. New stems are soft, green, and removed fairly easily. Collect and compost or dispose of all trimmings. Leaving them on the hedge can lead to insect and disease problems.

When to Trim

You can't go wrong with an early spring trimming. Whether the hedge is fast or slow growing, a early pruning before bud break, and before active photosynthesis begins, will not damage new growth. This is when to do the heaviest pruning. For shrubs that grow rapidly, trimming throughout the growing season is done mostly for appearance.

It's fine to remove dead or diseased branching and foliage anytime. However, with few exceptions, avoid pruning in winter when plants are brittle. Winter pruning can damage healthy tissue, creating vulnerability to disease and insect infestation. Even when done judiciously it can cause stunting.

How to Choose an Evergreen Hedge

The most important question when choosing a landscaping hedge is what is its intended purpose? If you're looking for a decorative border, slow-growing evergreens with soft or variegated leaves are a good options. But if you need a sound barrier between your backyard and a busy road, a fast-growing evergreen with dense leaves and branching serves this purpose quickly and more effectively. Here are a few other considerations:

• What is the desired mature height and width of the evergreen you want to use? Some grow straight and tall while others have a shorter wider spread.
• How quickly do you want the hedge to grow enough to be a useful barrier? Growth rate varies greatly. Fast-growing shrubs will, at least initially, require more frequent pruning and trimming.
• Make sure the shrub is evergreen in your growing zone. Semi-evergreen usually means the plant will drop its leaves in winter and deciduous plants always drop their leaves in winter. Bare branches won't be as attractive during winter months and even those with dense branching won't provide the same degree of privacy.
• Consider sidewalks, driveways, and how you use your outdoor space. Spiky hollies and twiggy shrubs won't work as well in high traffic areas as evergreens with soft needles.
• Locate and mark locations for water and underground utility lines. Avoid these areas for growing a hedge or choose varieties specifically for their shallow root systems.