road salt worries

[slippery]

hi all,

i planted a copper beech and hawthorn hedge to the front of my property last winter and it has done quite well this year, if a little scrawny near the end that has a large conifer nearby but im sure it will pick up.

 

when i moved in here, two years ago, there was a very sorry looking laurel hedge there that had been pocket planted and was more hole than bush, my neighbor told me that he belived it was because of salt being spread on the road in the winter, ( there is about a one meter path between the hedge and road)

 

I have cleared a load of undergrowth today, my intention being to put chipped bark down next week, but will that help or hinder the situation (ie protect the ground or hold the salt for longer to leech back into the ground)

 

Also, i seem to recall an argument about whether to sprinkle a little chicken down before mulching but cant remember the outcome, any ideas please??

Edited October 25, 2009 by John Shutler
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[Giles Hill]

I think Beech might do better than laurel because it is likely to be dormant when road salt is applied and therefore the salt can be leached out of the soil before it is taken up by the tree.

[slippery]

cheers for the reply, i noticed today that the beech seems to have done better than the hawthorn, (three staggered hawthorn to each beech), some easily more than doubling in thickness,

 

do you think the same for the hawthorn, and what about the mulching and chicken fertiliser?

[slippery]

bump.... does anyone else have an opinion on this??

[Mesterh]

Havent a clue about the salt but a little horse manure can do wonders for a struggling hedge.

[slippery]

Havent a clue about the salt but a little horse manure can do wonders for a struggling hedge.

 

at this time of year or in spring??

[Mesterh]

at this time of year or in spring??

 

OH err dont know mate all my knowledge on this subject was in my previous post

 

I just know of a few people who have forked some manure into there privet. conifer, laurel hedges etc and it worked a treat.

[slippery]

ISTR something about causing more harm than good by fertilising at the wrong time, my problem is reading lots but remembering only bits:001_rolleyes:

[Mesterh]

I wouldnt have thought so since horse's pooh all year round

 

Although I have just amended my signature so you may wanna check it out

[Alinicoll]

Also, i seem to recall an argument about whether to sprinkle a little chicken down before mulching

 

Don`t know if the chicken will like that