Recommendations about planting Eastern or Canadian Hemlock hedge?

Question

I see that my local nursery has them in 3-4 foot size. i really like the way they look . If I plant them in a row and flatten them on top ,do they form a nice looking hedge?
How long will it take for them to grow into a 6' hedge? I am wanting to screen my neighbors.
Also another place in my yard I want to plant them in a row and grow them in their tree form to make a tall screen. Will they look good this way as well? Will they grow fast into a 10' screen?
Any tips appreciated, thanks.

Answer 1

They will do well in both modes - pruned into a hedge, and allowed to grow into free-standing specimens. Your question is not weird at all. I would make one suggestion: if you have a soil that is mostly clay, do not bury them like planting a normal tree. Dig more of a shallow basin than a hole, and, after placing the root ball in the basin, mound up good organic matter mixed with native soil around it, into a mound with the trunk in the center. Every area has its preferred organic matter, for example Mushroom Compost in Pennsylvania; Erth Food in Georgia, etc - just check with your local big box garden center department. Use that, mixed with your native soil, and mound it up around the root ball to protect the roots. This assures much better success with hemlocks in clay soil areas. It mimics the leaf litter layer in the forests where hemlocks naturally grow. In such an area, hemlock roots will only rarely venture out of the leaf litter and into the compacted soil layers below.
Planted right, they are going to add about 1' to 18" of growth per year. With pruning to keep the hedge hemlocks even, I would say 9" to 12" per year.

Answer 2

Canadian Hemlock Hedge

Answer 3

Hemlock Hedge

Answer 4

Hemlock is a great tree for a pruned hedge. However I would suggest you study up on the proper way to shear them. Timing is important.
If you prune them before the first big flush of spring growth, it will allow them to put on more size each year since the energy is not wasted in loose growth that then gets cut off. As they begin to mature, or reach the size you have in mind, then you may be better off to prune after the first flush. But before they are done growing and set their terminals for the next season.
That being said, keep in mind that a Hemlock wants to be a BIG tree like the size of a spruce or pine. You must let it grow some new foliage every year because the needles any evergreen produces are only good for so long before they die. Start shearing it young and let it get bigger every year. If the plant puts on a little new each year that doesnt' get cut off in the pruning it will maintain a full appearance. So it is not a good idea to let them grow unpruned to a certain size then start whacking the leaders off and expect them to look nice. In addition, when pruning any hedge it is desirable to be sure to prune them narrower at the top than at the bottom so the bottom is not shaded out.

Hemlock is a little picky about the soil and will do better with woodsy, well drained soil with adequate water. They can also be tricky to transplant at all but certainly well worth the effort. If the plants are happy I could see them growing from 3-4 to 6' in a couple of years. Good luck with them.

Answer 5

If there was a prize for wierd questions, you'd have just won it