Re: [SG] Canadian Hemlock

Jennifer,

I concur that hemlock (Tsuga) is not your best selection.  They absolutely
require good drainage, although they want moist soil...a spot that is
"really" moist sounds like it may not drain well.  Plus, these are trees
from a cool climate that languish in zone 8 heat.

Have you considered Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon Holly)?  It grows in light shade
and tolerates soil from dry to soggy.  It also grows in your part of the
country.  If you don't know it, here's a web site with a photo and more
information about it.

http://bluehen.ags.udel.edu/gopher-data2/.broadleafeg/.descriptions/i_vomito
.html

I also recommend Musser Forest for woody plants.  I don't know if they have
this particular holly, but if they do, and you are interested, don't
hesitate to buy from them.  I have a *lot* of yew hedge that was purchased
from them as small liner plants that I was amazed at the size of when they
came! (sorry for lousy syntax)

They have a web site - not a lot on it, but you can request a catalog:

http://www.musserforests.com/default.htm

Cyndi's humongous list of nurseries has a section on trees and shrubs you
can check out:

http://www.cog.brown.edu/gardening/cat16/frame-cat.html

Forestfarm lists Ilex   vomitoria   'Yellowfruit' in tubes for $6.95
each...these are going to be small, but I've always been pleasantly
surprised at the size they ship.  If you are interested, email them to see
if they have the number you might need.

Forestfarm is also a great nursery....lots of woody plants, both evergreen
and deciduous.      http://www.forestfarm.com/search/plant.asp

There are, no doubt, other plants that would be suitable for your
situation...this is the first I found that tolerates damp soil, part shade
and zone 8 heat ;-)  Most needled evergreens demand good drainage; most
want full sun and many are intolerant of hot climates.

The US Dept. of Agriculture has a marvelous site with information on trees
- both conifers and deciduous - should help in your research.

http://willow.ncfes.umn.edu/silvics_manual/Table_of_contents.htm

Judy Lowe's topic on Suite101 is Southern Gardening.  I just did a quick
check of her article titles to see if she had one on hedges...which she
doesn't, but she has done several on hollies as well as other shrubs...and
I know she'd be happy  to chat with you about what might do well for you in
your climate.  URL to her welcome page is :
http://206.186.163.173/welcome.cfm/southern_gardening

The number of plants you'll need rather depends on the growth habits of
whatever you end up with.  My hemlock hedge is planted as a staggered row
on six foot centers.  My Taxus 'Hicksii' (yew) hedge is planted on about 3'
centers, but the form of this plant is a narrow column, whereas hemlock are
forest trees that get pretty wide if left to their own devices.  Somewhere,
I had bookmarked a page that listed planting distances for hedges and I
can't find it....sigh... but, say your plant can easily get 10 feet in
diameter at the base...for a thick, sheared hedge, I'd plant on 5 or 6 feet
centers.  If you want a more naturalistic hedgerow effect, I'd plant in a
staggered row  rather than a straight one and somewhat farther apart so the
individual plant form is more evident.

x      x       x       x
    x      x       x           = staggered row

You might also want to consider a mixed planting instead of 180 feet of the
same thing, unless you intend to shear it.   Think someone else also
suggested this.  You would find it more interesting over time.  The mere
thought of pruning that length of hedge sort of gives me the willies ;-)

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
current article: Mailorder Nurseries - On and Off Line, Part 7, Underwood
Shade Nursery
http://suite101.com/welcome.cfm/222
All garden topics welcome page:
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/3425#top5

----------
> From: Jennifer Sheppard <Jennys2@AOL.COM>
> To: shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: Re: [SG] Canadian Hemlock
> Date: Friday, February 26, 1999 1:46 PM
>
> I am thinking of buying Canadian Hemlock to make a living fence.  The
area I
> intend to plant in is really moist and part shade.  I was wondering if
this
> would work in my zone
> which is 8.  Also the area is 160 feet, so I'm figuring I will need
around a
> 100 of these plants.  Does anybody know how fast these grow?  In today's
mail
> I got a Burgess catalog, amazingly they have these in there, relatively
cheap.
> Has anybody done business with them, are they a good company to go with?
>
> Thanks for any help!
> Jennifer Sheppard
> North Louisiana
> zone 8
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