Back of the way: the hedge conifer

From stuffy image to popular green yard fencing

More and more people are seeking peace and quiet near their own homes. They remodel their garden and get closer to nature. It is therefore becoming more and more normal to have a nice, large hedge instead of a wooden fence or concrete wall. A hedge such as the Thuja Plicata Martin, for example. Works Manager Henri Nelissen of Coniplant B.V. tells more about this beautiful hedge and what advantages it brings.

The Thuja Plicata Martin is a large hedge conifer that is becoming increasingly popular. "It is an incredibly strong hedge plant that deserves a place in every garden. The dark green color sets it apart from the others and that makes the hedge very fresh and innovative. Five years ago the conifer still had a really stuffy image, but now you see them coming back more and more often. So you see: people want more green in their gardens."

Easy and compact 

"The Thuja Plicata is a fairly easy plant that grows quickly and well. The plant can stand in both dry, and wet soil. This makes the plant very versatile. And because the hedge is easy to prune, it stays compact. So you don't lose unnecessary space in your garden," says Nelissen.

This strong hedge plant offers some fine advantages over a fence or concrete wall. "The living material of the hedge provides coolness in the garden. So during hot summers it is great to seek shade or coolness there. In addition, the hedge absorbs downpours much better than other fences. Because of the roots, water has a much easier chance to sink through the soil, than when there are bricks. The hedge is also conducive to biodiversity. In fact, birds and insects like to nest in this large, safe plant."

Machine pruning

Before the plants go out the door at Coniplant B.V., the employees make sure they are properly pruned. "We trim the hedges mechanically so you get a nice and compact hedge. Normally a conifer grows cone-shaped. But because we prune and transplant them you get more of a cylinder shape. So the length that people buy from us is also immediately nice and full and sight-proof within a year. That's often the number one reason a hedge is bought: visibility."

"When the hedge conifers are 1 meter tall, we replant them once. That way the root system becomes much better. The chance of the hedge falling out then becomes minimal. If you plant the hedge and then don't replant it, it might grow faster, but then you only get three or four thick roots. Because we take them out of the ground and put them back into other soil, the hedge has to start putting down roots all over again. Therefore you get much more and finer hair roots and the hedge is much more resilient." 

Nelissen adds: "If you buy a hedge between two and two and a half meters that has not been trimmed, it is often already more than one meter wide. This means you lose a lot of space in your garden. Because we prune them you lose about half a meter and they are also nicely branched. In a reasonably short time you will have a beautiful, dense hedge that is a real addition to your garden. Not only for you, but also for nature."