The robust privet is very popular with us. We show what you should consider when planting privet hedges in terms of planting time, location and more.
Privet (Ligustrum) enriches the garden not only with the fragrant white flowers in summer or the dark, shiny berries in autumn and winter. The animals he brings into the garden are also a wonderful addition and a pleasure to watch.
Once you've acquired your seedlings, you can finally get active. Think carefully about which location is the right one for your privet. Remember that when planting hedges you have to keep a certain distance from your neighbors. Once you've found the perfect location, get to work.
When to plant privet?
The right time to plant privet is in autumn, ideally in October. At this time it rains a lot and the young plants need a lot of water in the beginning to grow well.
Alternatively, planting in spring is also possible. However, this has the disadvantage that you may have to water a lot if the spring is dry. Plant in the evening or on a cloudy day when the sun is not too hot to protect the plants for the first few hours after planting.
Planting privet: the right location
Privet has no special requirements for its location. The soil should be permeable to water, as the plant does not tolerate waterlogging. The plant particularly likes a slightly alkaline pH value. As for light, privet feels comfortable in the sun. However, he also has no objections to penumbra. Theoretically, you can even plant your privet in the shade, but there is a risk of it wilting over time.
Planting privet: the right way to do it
It doesn't take much to plant a privet. However, you should soak bare-rooted plants for a few hours before plantingput water. To plant, dig a hole about twice as wide and twice as high as the root ball. Then mix the excavated soil with compost, manure or long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer. You can then fill up the lower part of the planting hole with some excavation. This way the soil under the plant is well aerated. The plant itself should be replanted at the same level at which it grew previously. You can now spread the remaining excavation around the root ball and then press it down lightly. Then only the watering is missing - and that's it.
If you don't just want to plant a single privet, but a whole hedge, then you should definitely keep the planting distances. Privet should be spaced 40 to 50 centimeters apart, depending on how high you want your hedge to be. Small varieties such as the dwarf privet (Ligustrum vulgare 'Lodense') can be planted a little closer together, about 30 centimeters apart. Also note that you should leave enough space in front of and behind the hedge, because the hedge also grows in width. Allow at least 50 centimeters here.
Privet plant summary:
- Place the bare-rooted plants in water for a few hours
- Keep planting distance, mark planned holes if necessary
- Dig a planting hole about twice the size of the root ball
- Enrich the excavation with some compost, manure or our Plantura organic universal fertilizer
- Fill the bottom of the planting hole with some loose excavation
- Insert plant
- Fill the planting hole with excavation and press lightly
- Cast on
Caring for privet after planting
After planting, one thing counts above all: adequate watering until the young plants are well rooted. You can then reduce the watering over time. Theoretically, a cut is possible very soon, but it is questionable whether this already makes sense.
Here you can find out everything you need to know about cutting back privet properly. You do not need to fertilize the privet before next spring. More information can be found here.