Willow hedge. Hedges and willow fences

To fence off your site from prying eyes and unwanted intrusions, it is not at all necessary to build a powerful and high fence like Berlin Wall, it is enough to create a beautiful and graceful hedge, which will be no less reliable fencing and will become interesting decoration landscape design made in any style. Today, you can choose a variety of plants to create hedges, but in European latitudes the willow is the undisputed favorite.

Living willow fence: how good is this idea?

Despite the abundance of plants that can be used to create hedges, many gardeners prefer willow. Why? The fact is that willow is one of the most durable plants that does not require complex and time-consuming care. Willow takes root quickly and easily propagates, creating fast-growing shoots, and also grows very quickly, which allows you to create a beautiful living fence in a relatively short time(2-3 years).

In addition, a willow hedge is distinguished by its grace, frost resistance and serves as excellent protection from the wind, uninvited animals and even intruders. It is impossible to climb over a willow fence, and it is also unlikely to be able to pass through willow thickets.

Despite the fact that a willow hedge is traditionally used for fencing an area, it can be an excellent addition to landscape design and an excellent way to landscaping an area. With the help of a willow fence you can delimit space, highlight individual zones and place the necessary accents.

As a rule, the most common and accessible varieties of willow are used to create living fences: white, purple and holly willow.

Methods for creating a willow hedge

To create a willow fence you will need willow cuttings, which are best harvested in the fall or in early spring. The best option planting material for hedges - annual willow shoots, harvested in the fall and stored in a cool room.

You can buy willow seedlings, but you need to pay attention to them root system. The roots of willow seedlings should not be dry, otherwise they may not take root. Willow cuttings root easily in any moist soil, but acidic soil is considered the most suitable.

Creating a living willow fence occurs in several stages:

1. Site marking. At this stage, the site is being prepared where the willow fence will be placed. The marking of the area is done using wooden pegs on which a cord is pulled. The height of the pegs depends on the height of the source material, but, as a rule, it does not exceed 2 m. The planting line can be straight or curved - it all depends on the shape of the site and the intended design.

2. Soil preparation. Before planting the cuttings, it is necessary to add organic and mineral fertilizers to the soil. As a rule, trenches 40-50 cm deep are prepared for planting willow cuttings.

3. Creating a wireframe. Young plants require staking. They can be tied directly to driven pegs or built wooden frame, which will not allow the seedlings to bend or break.

4. Planting willow cuttings. The cuttings are planted in the ground at a distance of 20 cm from each other. To make the hedge thick, the cuttings can be planted at an angle of 45°, tilting the seedlings towards each other or tying them together. This is necessary so that the plants grow together over time and form a strong hedge. Unlike planting many other plants, when planting willow cuttings, growth stimulants are not used, since planting in ordinary soil already gives 100% results. It’s not for nothing that they say about the willow “it grows where you don’t poke it.”

Willow hedge care

Although willow is not a capricious and whimsical plant, a willow hedge is not a fence that only needs to be painted once a year; it is a part of nature that requires careful and constant care. In order for such a hedge to be pleasing to the eye and serve as a real decoration for the site, weeds around the willow seedlings must be regularly removed so that they do not choke the plant.

Willow is considered a moisture-loving plant, so in the first season it requires frequent and abundant watering. In subsequent seasons, moderate irrigation will be enough for her.

As for feeding, in the spring-summer period the willow is fed two to three times complex fertilizers, and in August superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added to the soil.

Willow bushes that form a hedge require regular pruning. As a rule, to give shape, they are trimmed twice a year - in early spring and mid-summer.

A living willow fence is one of the most attractive and cheapest ways to fence an area, which, with proper care, can last from 20 to 50 years.

Everyone knows how beautiful willow looks against the backdrop of rivers and lakes, but it will look just as good if you use it as a hedge in your home. A lot of things grow in nature different varieties and you. But they are all different in the shape of the leaves, crown, height and color; they can grow tall and low, dwarf and even creeping along the ground.

Advantages and disadvantages of hedges

The territory of your site, open to the winds and unkind eyes, is not a very attractive sight; to protect it in Lately becomes very popular living willow fence.

Such a landscape design will be more reliable and have a long service life than conventional fences and will make your site beautiful garden. Outer side will protect the territory from uninvited guests, wind and dust, and the internal - great background for the arrangement of flower beds and flower beds.

A living fence will not only act as a fence separating your site from the road, but can also serve as a division of the site into separate zones. Also, with the help of a hedge, you can hide the not so beautiful parts of the garden.

The disadvantages of such a site fencing include the creation of too tall bushes unnecessary shading, which can have a bad effect on plants planted in close proximity that require sunlight. But this can be avoided with proper division of the territory into zones and a good location of objects.

Willow is called by many names: willows growing as bushes are called - talnik, germinating a little higher - broom, vine or willow. Willow begins to bloom in April, at which time fluffy catkins grow on it, which consist of many small flowers.

Willow is one of a small number of germinating plants that can reproduce cuttings both one-year-olds and slightly woody two-year-olds. Willow can also reproduce by layering. In both cases, the sprouts take root quickly and grow well. At first the sprouts are weak, so you need to clean up around them weeds, so that they give the opportunity to grow a young willow hedge. A willow fence can be planted in one or more rows of suitable variety plants.

Varieties of willow

Living willow fence

Due to the fact that willow grows very quickly and this makes it possible to build a fence in short time. An important advantage is that it is not necessary to purchase seedlings for planting; you can use cuttings that take root well.

Before planting cuttings, you need to hammer in pegs along the entire planting line and pull the cord for accurate marking. The height of the pegs should be equal to the length of the cuttings or seedlings, and can be within 1.5 m. When planting longer sprouts up to two meters, the support is made higher. Then a trench about 40 cm deep is dug, the seedlings are planted at a distance from each other about 20 cm.

You need to plant annual cuttings that were prepared in the fall and stored in a warm place all winter. Before the growing season, the shoots are cut and planted at an angle of 45%, directed towards each other left and right. Afterwards, it is advisable to tie them for greater strength; in the future, they will grow and turn into a strong hedge.

A good decoration for your site will be willow shoot tunnel. Holly-leaved willow or red willow are most suitable for it; you can also use purple willow, twig-shaped or black willow.

All of these seedlings are unpretentious, are not afraid of severe frosts, are durable and grow quickly. They are not afraid of waterlogged soil and tolerate shearing well and are excellent honey plants.

Not suitable for tunnel equipment only white willow, which grows up to 35 meters, brittle willow is also not suitable. Buildings made from them will not be strong, despite the strengthening measures taken.

To speed up the process of fusion in places where the shoots touch, the bark is necessary undercut and tie the bare areas with fabric or polyethylene tape. After growing together, they can still be intertwined to enhance the strength of the fence.

When purchasing plants, make sure that the roots are in a container or covered with burlap cloth. The soil and burlap should be wet, With dry roots, shoots are unsuitable for planting.

Cuttings from containers are planted almost throughout the season; only cuttings without a lump of soil at the roots need to be planted in early spring. You can plant it in early autumn, but it should be noted that if the species is not resistant to frost, then it will freeze in the first year of planting.

There is no need to take special care of the planted fence; just plant new cuttings every fall to replace the withered ones, trim the cuttings to the required height and intertwine them with each other. Such work needs to be done to strengthen your fence.

Hedge care

During the first year of planting a hedge around willow shoots, it is necessary to thoroughly destroy grass and weeds, in order to prevent weeds from drowning out young growth. During dry conditions summer period It is recommended to water the seedlings at least once every seven days, and in normal summer weather - once every 14 days.

A trimmed fence looks much more attractive, reliable and compact. After some time, it becomes completely impassable and needs constant care.

You will have to trim it a couple of times during the year, you need to find out in advance cutting technique There are some rules for this. After all, if the living fence is high, you need to use a stepladder, climb it from top to bottom and vice versa, moving along the fence. When cutting, a lot of leaves and shoots will be removed, so after this process is completed, you need to feed the plants for their proper development.

Twice in a row summer time the willow needs feeding mineral fertilizers , and with the onset of autumn, add superphosphate to the soil.

In autumn, it is advisable to collect fallen leaves from under willow seedlings without leaving them for the winter. When choosing non-frost-resistant plant varieties, during the first year you need to cover them for the winter season. Living fencing needs to be trimmed twice a year: early spring and at the end of the summer season.

Today, landscape plantings of green plants are popular, for example:

• living fences;
• green tunnels;
• joint and single plantings.

A variety of plants can be used for these purposes. But the most suitable is the unpretentious willow, which tolerates seasonal pruning well.

Thanks to its flexible branches, you can do things with willow any combinations interior design of the fence. And you can do everything yourself without much difficulty, and in a couple of years you can admire the creation of your hands and the newfound charm and allure of the willow fence will cause the envy of your neighbors.

Making willow fences with your own hands is not so difficult if you properly prepare the material and study the technology. Wicker fences come in two types: living and non-living. The first ones are used as protection from prying eyes, as well as for decorative purposes, the second ones are used to decorate a flower garden or bed in rustic style, for fencing a vegetable garden or summer cottage.

A wicker fence made of willow fits perfectly into any facade.

Preparing willow twigs

Before you start work, you need to prepare willow twigs. It is best to cut the vine at a time when sap flow is stopped (from autumn to early spring). Such material is much better stored and can be processed. If you are planning to make a wicker fence in the summer, then it is not necessary to prepare the material in advance; you can use freshly cut vines that have been properly processed. For hedges, willow is harvested during the period when sap flow is suspended. The rods are cut at an angle and placed in buckets of water. The room temperature should not be too high, otherwise the willow will germinate prematurely.

Options for simple weaving of a willow fence: a – weaving pattern, b – through one post, c – through one post with four rods, d – through two posts, e, f – options for combining techniques.

When preparing material, choose a bush with good upright shoots, the age of which does not exceed 2 years. Such rods have the proper thickness and good flexibility. The vine is cut using pruning shears or a special sickle-shaped knife at an angle. After cutting the rod, make sure that its core is not loose, and its diameter is at least 1.5 and no more than 4 cm. The cut should not have a brownish tint. The rods need to be cleared of leaves. Immediately prepare branches for the base of the fence; their thickness should exceed 4 cm in diameter.

Vine harvested in the spring-summer period must be immediately cleared of bark. For this purpose they use special device called “squeezer”, which allows you to process a large number of rods in a short period. If desired, you can make the pinch yourself. Take a thick branch, split it in the middle, and wrap tape or twine around the split area. The vine is cleaned by pulling it through a squeezer. The willow is laid out in a sunny area to dry, but it is important that the rods do not touch each other, otherwise they may rot.

Vine harvested from late autumn to early spring must be boiled in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, then dried in a warm place where there is no dampness. Rods treated in this way can be stored for a long time for a long time, it is important that the temperature in the room does not drop below 0ºC, otherwise the material may rot. Before starting work, you need to steam the vine in a water bath or soak it in a container of water. This procedure will help give the material the proper flexibility and ductility.

How to make a wattle fence from willow twigs?

You will need:

• pruner;
• mallet;
• vine;
• branches for the base;
• hammer and nails;
• pegs and rope;
• wire.

Making a wicker fence is not that difficult. The first step is to mark the future fence using pegs and rope. Then you need to drive thick, even branches into the ground, which will serve as the basis of the structure. To ensure that the fence does not warp, it is strengthened with the help of transverse strips, which are driven in horizontally at a distance of 30 cm. As the weaving progresses auxiliary strips are removed, but if the fence of branches is long enough, then it is better to leave the crossbars. To make it easier to drive the support into the ground, it is necessary to sharpen it in the form of a wedge at the end of each stake. Important: the bottom of the supporting branches must be treated with liquid roofing material or burned, which will prevent rotting. Drive stakes to a depth of 35 to 50 cm (depending on the height of the fence).

The distance between the supporting stakes should be at least 30 and no more than 50 cm. The thicker the vine for weaving, the wider the step between the main stakes.

When weaving, it is necessary to allow the willow to bend freely; it should not spring back, which can happen if it is too close location basics The tip of the first rod is nailed to the base, then the vine passes behind the second stake, leads out, goes around the 3rd stake in front, the 4th base in the back, etc. When weaving, it is very important to connect the rods inconspicuously. This can be done in several ways, for example, connecting the vine in the cut area using wire or tape. If the willow is thin and flexible, then the twigs are intertwined with each other, and the ends are brought inside out, then carefully trimmed.

Each subsequent row is performed in a mirror image: those stakes that were skipped in the previous row are rounded. Craftsmen use almost the same techniques as when making ordinary baskets. During weaving, the vine is compacted using a mallet, otherwise the fence will look sloppy. Weaving from 2-3 rods at the same time looks very impressive. IN in this case The technology is the same: the warp is woven in a checkerboard pattern. In this case, you need to ensure that the rods do not intertwine, but run parallel to each other throughout the entire weaving.

You will need:

• branches for the base;
• vine;
• tape (wire, rope);
• pruner;
• nails, hammer.

Using a willow hedge, you can zone a site or protect flower beds from garden plantings.

Hedge made from wicker it looks very impressive. In addition, this design is an excellent protective structure, which is important. To make a living fence, you need to make markings, then drive in base stakes at a distance of 1-1.5 m from each other. The diameter of the branches for the base should be 4-5 cm. The stakes are driven to a depth of 35-50 cm (the higher the fence, the deeper the base should go into the ground).

The structure is fastened with horizontal planks at the bottom and top. Intermediate cross bars are nailed depending on what type of weaving will be chosen. So, with a vertical arrangement of the rods, transverse strips are nailed to a height of 25-35 cm from each other. If you want to make a hedge in the form of a grid, then horizontal supports are placed at a distance equal to the height of the cells of the future fence (from 35 to 50 cm). Many craftsmen make do with only the top and bottom transverse strips, but if you do not have experience, it is better to use additional fastening, and after the fence is ready, you can remove the horizontal strips.

Willow rods are stuck into the ground to a depth of 15 to 20 cm, the distance between them should be 20-30 cm. For a vertical fence, the vine is stuck straight, for mesh weaving - at an angle. In those places where the willow rods come into contact with the crossbar or intersect with each other, they are fastened with rope, tape or wire. When using mesh weaving, it is necessary to trim the bark at the junction of the rods and carefully wrap the vine with tape - then the willow will grow together in this place, forming a beautiful lattice-like shape.

It is important to remember that the vine will thicken as it grows, so the wire tie should not be made too tight. As the vine grows, it is freed from its fastening and adjusted using pruning shears. If a rod does not take root, it is replaced with a new one. In order for the willow to take root well, it is necessary to add to the soil river sand or another baking powder, water the planted twigs in a timely manner, not allowing the soil to dry out for a long time. Best time for planting hedges - this early spring when there are no leaves on the willow yet and sap flow is just beginning.

Decorating and protecting a wicker fence

In order for a wicker fence to last as long as possible, it is necessary to treat the wood with a special antiseptic agent against rotting and damage by insects. Willow itself contains tannins that protect the tree from pests, but high humidity Wood can become moldy, so it is advisable to treat it with an antiseptic. Modern industry offers varnishes with various additives that not only improve the wood, but also increase its service life.

To give the fence the desired shade, use stain, acrylic facade paint, colored varnishes. You can bleach wattle using hydrogen peroxide. It is equally important to supplement the decorative elements, for example, hang clay jars on stakes, plant sunflowers along the fence, let climbing morning glory, hops or maiden grapes grow along the fence. The fences placed along the fence will add a special charm. garden sculptures. Anyone can make a willow fence with their own hands; all you need is desire and pliable natural material.

Every person strives to improve their home. Many people strive to protect their territory from external irritants: street and car noise, wind, unnecessary prying eyes. Also, few people like high, blind fences. The ideal solution there will be a hedge made of willow! It will not disturb the overall beauty, will fit organically into the landscape and will make your property inaccessible to outsiders. In addition, this type of fencing is one of the most economical.

The great advantage of a willow fence is that it looks attractive all year round. The plant is unpretentious in care. In just a year it will begin to grow like a dense wall. It is easy to make a willow hedge with your own hands and it will look very beautiful. Graceful cascading branches will transform and decorate your yard.

Varieties of willow

Few people choose willow for hedges because few people know that it can be used in this way. There are more than 500 varieties of willow in nature. They all differ in leaf color, crown, and size. It can be dwarf or tall, it can even creep along the ground. Choose what you like best.

You can create a willow hedge with your own hands from the most practical and aesthetically pleasing types of this plant, see photo:

• white willow, also called weeping willow. Loves humidity and is ideal for large garden. Can reach a height of about thirty meters;
• purple willow - shrubby blooming species(about four meters), has blue or purple leaves;
• Holly-leaved willow, popularly called willow. Grows up to eight meters. It has subspecies: shrub and tree. Drought resistant;
  
• Rosemary-leaved willow is a shrub that grows up to 2 meters. Resistant to both moisture and drought;
  
  
• basket willow is a large tree about eight meters. The leaves are tinged with silver and love moisture;
  
  
• hairy willow- small tree no more than a meter. Tolerates low temperatures well;
  
  
• goat - can reach ten to fifteen meters. You can easily determine the sex of an individual if there are red earrings in the spring;
  
• matsudana - this Chinese willow, unusual for its curved shoots, can be about eight meters, does not like frost;
  
  
• Sakhalin - similar to matsudana, but tolerates cold more easily. Loves moisture;
  
• whole-leaved - Japanese willow, spherical crown and pink leaves. Loves humidity.
  
  

Willow planting

You can plant a willow hedge yourself; photos and recommendations will help you with this. Willow is a rare shrub that can be propagated by cuttings and layering. In this case, the plant quickly takes root and develops. Only at first the sprouts will be weak, so it is necessary to monitor the weeds and remove them on time.

Advice! Woody cuttings, which are about two years old, are accepted faster and easier.

If you decide to prepare the shoots yourself, do it in the fall or spring. If you are thinking of buying, then know that you can plant willow in the form of seedlings for several months: from late spring to October. But if you purchased cuttings without root food, then they must be planted in the spring. The willow takes root very well, you can be sure that almost all seedlings or cuttings will sprout.

Important! When purchasing seedlings, focus on the roots. They must be in burlap or in the ground and at the same time be wet, dry ones will not work!

So how is a willow hedge made? Follow the proven method:

• tight and durable soft cloth tie the sprouts to the poles;
• Don't forget to water and pull out weeds. At first, you need to take special care to ensure that unnecessary grass does not interfere with the sprouting of sprouts.
• Later, you can intertwine the willow shoots with each other, so the fence will become stronger. Do not forget to support the sprouts with a frame, increase it as needed. Willow is also remarkable in that you can direct its growth yourself. The video below will help you grow your own willow hedge.

How to properly care for a living willow fence

Caring for willow is quite simple. The first year, make sure that nothing prevents the seedlings from growing. Do not forget about watering, if the summer is dry, do it once a week, if it is wet, then once every two weeks.

In summer, it is advisable to fertilize it comprehensively; it is enough to do this only once a season. In the fall, add superphosphate.

Remove leaves that fall in the fall. If the willow is not resistant to cold, then it is necessary to cover it in winter. Maintain your hedges by trimming them to required sizes twice a year in spring and summer.

If you have chosen standard forms of willow for yourself, then over time you will need to remove the shoots near the root and the rootstock.

Thanks to detailed instructions outlined in this video, you can easily make a hedge from willow:

The undeniable advantages of a willow fence

• Easy to plant. The photos and videos provided will help you choose the type of willow for your hedge. Practical recommendations will become your guide to action, and within a year, you will become the owner of a beautiful and exclusive willow hedge;

Hedges have not yet achieved the required level of popularity among land owners in middle lane. Meanwhile, creating it with your own hands in just two years is quite possible. It's attractive and cheap way fencing a site that can last 20-50 years.

There are many plants from which you can create a hedge, but I want to focus on willow. Willow grows well in the middle zone and does not freeze in winter, so there is no problem of shelter for the winter, it is unpretentious and grows quickly.

You can choose any of the willow varieties: holly (popularly willow), three-stamen (belotal), five-stamen (chernotal), dewy, purple or twig-like.

First you need to prepare a place for the fence. The fence, depending on your desire, can be straight or curved, so we lay the cord based on preference. We dig up the ground. The width and depth of the dig should be 40-50 cm. We drive in the pegs at a distance of 1.5 m from each other and connect them crosswise. The height of the pegs should correspond to the height of the fence. As a cross, you can use poles or a strong rope (we will tie willow twigs to them)

We prepare the required number of young willow cuttings (young flexible shoots 1.2-1.5 m long). If it is not possible to prepare cuttings yourself, you can buy them, but then the cost of the fence will increase sharply.

We plant the cuttings at a distance of 20 cm from each other, the planting depth is 30 cm. It is better to plant at an angle of 45 degrees, then it is more convenient to intertwine adjacent twigs.

Willow takes root very easily (almost 100%), so no special feeding is required. You just need to water it generously.

Now we intertwine the twigs with each other at our discretion. It is necessary to tie them to the crossbars to form a fence. You need to attach it firmly enough, but delicately, soft material(bast, twine).

As the cuttings grow, we continue to form a hedge.

A hedge is, of course, not a fence, which, after construction, you can forget about for a while. The hedge needs to be shaped by trimming it at your discretion.

Thus, a willow hedge can become a decoration of your site and delight your eye. And this is easy to do and, as you can see, quite quickly.

New Year and other winter holidays are just around the corner, but you can still have time to buy something on a Chinese website to make your home feel festive and cozy. We have made a top selection for you popular jewelry and other goods that you just can’t do without during these holidays. Let's see what this year interesting products You can order on the Aliexpress website.