How To Replace An Old Hedge

Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:26 pm

No matter how attached you may be to your hedge, eventually the best years of your green garden border will be over. And then you are suddenly confronted with the big task to replace an old hedge, even if it is difficult. But there is another way: in fact, this task can be done even within a day. And the result will be unique: suddenly you will have a fresh, new hedge in your garden, which will give your garden a lot of atmosphere. Therefore, we will gladly give you some tips when it comes to replacing your old hedge.

When should your hedge be replaced?

Is your hedge no longer growing well? Is it becoming less compact or does it already have bare, unsightly patches? Is the general condition of the hedge not as good as it used to be? Then the time has come to completely replace your hedge. If your hedge has also been in your yard for many years then it really is time to replace it. Of course, it may be that your hedge has already grown far too tall and wide. This often happens, especially with conifer hedges, which have then been cut back little or not at all for a long period of time. Especially Leylandii conifers are sensitive in this respect. Because a conifer hedge does not tolerate radical pruning, it is particularly difficult after the fact to get the hedge back on track. It is then often better to remove the old hedge, so that you can replace it with a young, fresh specimen.

Replace old conifer hedge

Conifers are known for being hardy and can also grow particularly old. This is also completely true. Nevertheless, an old conifer hedge will also eventually reach its limits when it comes to age. However, a hedge can also reach its limits if you have cut it back too much, or if you have not fertilized the hedge regularly enough. In addition, conifers, such as Lawsons mock cypress, yew (Taxus) and Leylandii conifers, are also quite sensitive when it comes to aging. In fact, as a conifer hedge gets older, it can also become increasingly bare and less opaque. It is then often better to replace it: the regeneration of your old hedge is then no longer possible and the result will then certainly no longer meet your wishes.

Make sure then that the replacement hedge is of excellent quality: the conifers should then above all be healthy and of a decidedly high quality. In our webshop you will find different varieties of conifers, which are offered either as potted plants or also with a root ball. Whether you prefer the tree of life, the Lawsons mock cypress or the Leylandii conifer: all these plants can be ordered online in an easy and safe way. If your old conifer hedge needs to be replaced, then you will certainly want to quickly plant a new, fresh, tall hedge in your garden. This can be realized quite quickly with a prefabricated hedge. This is because it consists of fully grown hedge elements that have already reached the height you want. Prefabricated hedges are full-grown plants with which you can immediately plant an opaque and full hedge in your garden.

Remove old hedge

Removing your old hedge can mean that you will have a lot of work. Nevertheless, this is a task that you can do yourself if you are in good shape and vital enough. You can then trim the evergreen hedge or deciduous hedge back a bit more first, so that the plants are easier to handle. After that, you can dig up the hedge plants all around. Keep enough distance from your old hedge so that you don’t immediately hit the roots with the spade. If it is not possible to dig out the hedge this way, you may be able to pry out the thick roots with an extra sharp spade or chop them out with a hatchet. Is your hedge particularly long and tall? Then you can also make the decision to have your hedge removed by a gardening company. But there is also the possibility to rent a small excavator for this task.

Buy new hedge

Once your old hedge is removed, you can plant your new hedge in the garden. However, make sure that you order the new hedge plants early so that they are then delivered on the exact day that you want to replace your old hedge. You can replace your old hedge, for example, by then also planting exactly the same hedge in your garden again, but you can also choose a completely different hedge.