Is Chinese honeysuckle hedging material?

Q

Is Chinese honeysuckle suitable as hedging?

ADavid Hunter, Cheshunt, Herts.

What a lovely idea – I applaud your idea of planting a boundary hedge of Lonicera nitida, commonly called Chinese honeysuckle. It will make a dense barrier.

Encourage it to grow strongly by double digging the planting area and work in soil conditioner such as wellrotted farmyard manure into the bottom spit. Before planting, mix Vitax Q4 fertiliser with soil that you firm around the root system.

Ideally, set the plants (which are best bought pot-grown) 18in (45cm) apart in a double staggered row. If you can only

buy bare-root plants, get them in during a mild spell when the soil is ‘open’ and not waterlogged nor frozen, between now and mid-March.

After planting, shorten growth by half its length to speed twiggy shoots and create a dense base. Water the plants freely during dry spells.

When your hedge is established and growing strongly, trim it twice a year in June and August, shortening new growth by around a half. When it is around 5ft (1½m) high (don’t grow it any higher as it may become unstable) you may be able to reduce trimming to July or August.

AI fear that your tomatoes succumbed to blight, a fungus that destroys plants from late summer onwards. If it happens again, dispose of infected plants as there are no chemicals to control the disease.

This year, I suggest that you grow blight-resistant kinds. Two very healthy newcomers are ‘Crimson Crush’, a tasty, large fruited form, ideal for growing outdoors, and ‘Primabella’, a delicious high-performing cherry type.

Suppliers: ‘Crimson Crush’: suttons. co.uk, 0844 326 2200; ‘Primabella’:

thompson-morgan.com, 0844 573 1828.