Its best feature comes in the spring when masses of white flowers are shorn followed by dark blue sloe berries in autumn that attract the surrounding wildlife. Blackthorn is an important species for all kinds of wildlife, but is especially vital for the rare Black Hairstreak butterfly who lays its eggs in its hedges. Hi grrrrrl, thank you for your comment. Blooming blackthorn by Hornbeam Arts under © CC BY-NC 2.0. Birds love building nests in the tree. For more information please visit our terms & conditions page. Where to Plant. Hawthorns are best planted when dormant, from autumn to spring, as bare-root trees or hedging plants. Hedgerow berries provide birds with high-energy food in autumn and winter. Gaspard, thank you so much for your fast, informative reply. It also tolerates fairly poor soils, half shade and is a really tough hedgerow plant. A hedge height of between 1 to 4 metres is ideal for Sloe Berry tree hedging. After this, place the seeds in the fridge for at least 18 weeks. Hi Iverson, that’s a good question. Your email address will not be published. Cell-grown … And lastly, if you want to do away with the trunk entirely, it’s possible as well. Basic Bigarreau Cherry…, Iverson wrote on 8 August 2020 at 23 h 19 min, Gaspard wrote on 10 August 2020 at 14 h 23 min, Iverson wrote on 10 August 2020 at 20 h 08 min, Val wrote on 9 September 2019 at 12 h 07 min, Gaspard wrote on 9 September 2019 at 17 h 45 min, Val wrote on 9 September 2019 at 19 h 25 min, Gaspard wrote on 10 September 2019 at 10 h 42 min, Chris Palmer wrote on 23 July 2019 at 19 h 07 min, Gaspard Lorthiois wrote on 23 July 2019 at 22 h 23 min, Gaspard Lorthiois wrote on 6 June 2019 at 18 h 30 min, grrrrrl wrote on 21 April 2018 at 9 h 54 min, Gaspard Lorthiois wrote on 24 April 2018 at 9 h 55 min, Prunus laurocerasus rotundifolia, ideal for hedges, Bigarreau cherry tree, the ultimate cherry. Its dense growth makes it suitable for hedges. How to plant a bare-root tree; How to plant a bare-root hedge; How to propagate hawthorn. Hello Chris! So upset!! Height – 3 to 16 feet (1 to 5 m) Bare root plants can only be planted from early November to end of March. Like Blackthorn,a great security barrier, beautiful in spring, and fruitful in autumn. How much will be paid. Dig a hole 60x60cm (2x2ft) and 30cm (12in) deep. If the ground needs to be sprayed for weeds, winter is the best time to spray the ground as the plants are dormant. It shouldn’t be trimmed if the weather is really hot and dry. I’m supposing the seeds have already come from dry storage, they’re in a deep dormant phase. Blackthorn hedge plants, also known as Prunus spinosa, is a popular thorny, deciduous hedging species that provides seasonal interest, with pure white flowers in the spring, followed by attractive green foliage that turns yellow in the autumn.Blackthorn produces sloes in the autumn that are a hit with birds and other wildlife. Most Native hedging is planted as small bare-root ‘whips’ during the winter months. It is often used as part of a hedge or as an understory in dappled shade or at the edges of a woodland garden. They are usually small, single stemmed plants. Great as natural security barrier or boundary bushes thanks to their sharp spines Blackthorn is another popular hedging plant for many projects as it is tough and easy to maintain . (a famous crossword trick) You can still nonetheless plant your blackthorn in spring if you’ve purchased it in a container. Foliage – deciduous. Blackthorn sloes (also on social media) by Marek Michalski under © CC BY-NC 2.0 Staging it ensures the main trunk is still the go-to point for sap and “growing power”. Don’t worry because blackthorn can take severe pruning easily, especially if already 10 years old with a strong root system. Blackthorn can grow well in full sun and partial shade. For hedges 3-10ft (0.9-3m). The fruit is used to make jellies jams and drinks like sloe gin. Blackthorn hedging has a fast growth rate of around 40-60cm of growth annually. All this pruning and cutting is best done after the harvest in late fall, if you’re collecting the sloes. Remove suckers sprouting from the base often during the year. Growth rate of Prunus spinosa hedge plants. Or something creative. It’s best to wait for them to be around a year old or so before planting them to the ground. Blackthorn doesn’t like sitting in water for a long period of time and doesn’t like heavy wet ground. Blackthorn does well in my clay soil. Preparing the site for planting. The pollen starts off golden yellow-orange and, if not picked by bees or shaken off, it turns darker as it dries up. How to grow hawthorns – planting a hawthorn hedge. Planting hawthorns. Good in Your Garden. Caution: blackthorn spikes can be over 4 inches (10 cm) long, are very sharp and very strong. Click to open the post in a new tab on the relevant social media site. Advantages Blackthorn Hedging. With its sharp thorny branches, it was used for many centuries to help create stockproof hedgerows to contain livestock but has since retained a useful status as a hardy hedging plant. Deciduous native hedging plants (such as hazel , hawthorn and blackthorn ) can be planted in a double staggered row, while most others (such as yew , beech and hornbeam ) should be planted singly. As well as providing structure to the garden, they can be perfect for wildlife, and particularly nesting birds. A blackthorn hedge is great anywhere you want to keep out intruders, keep animals in or encourage wildlife – in all but the smallest of gardens. You may find that your Blackthorn plant is bare at the bottom this is generally rabbit damage as they love to eat the young hedging plants. Native hedging plants include Beech, Hornbeam, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hazel, Field Maple, Dogwood, Spindle and Guelder Rose. Genus Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. My question is please, is it too late to turn it into a bush/shrub? Planting is simple with a planting spade, (like a standard spade but narrower) push the spade in deep, pull back towards you then push forward. If the area you are going to plant them in has grass or weeds, the ground should be sprayed off a week or so before planting to avoid any competition. Thank you again. Tanya Khan is a freelance author and consultant, having written numerous articles for various online and print sources. Blackthorn flowers then develop into small, round deep purple to black fruit, known as sloes in winter. Not only is Blackthorn super tough, it also looks fantastic. Its early blooming is simply beautiful, covering the tree even before leaves have appeared. Add a layer of organic matter – such as compost or well-rotted manure – to the base of the hole and dig in. If you must prune or cut back your blackthorn, avoid proceeding after the blooming, or you won’t be harvesting any fruits. An easy to care for hedge plant, we recommend trimming Prunus spinosa hedging once the sloe berries have been harvested (or during late … Grow rambling plants, such as wild rose, bramble and … To help prevent too many weeds appearing after you have planted your hedge, I find it a good idea to put your grass clippings or mulch around the plants as this smothers out the weeds and helps prevent the plants drying out. Blackthorn is an unfussy plant, it is tolerant of most soil conditions and should be planted at a rate of five plants per metre. see more; Family Rosaceae . Blackthorn hedging can be used as a specimen hedging scheme, but works better when included in mixed hedging … You should try to have the ground ready before you get them, and plant them as soon as you get them so they have a good chance of success. Plant bare-root trees between November and March, and container-grown ones any time of year, but preferably in autumn, winter or spring. We opted to plant deciduous, native hedging around the perimeter of the Greenside Up garden that included Birch, Beech, Hazel, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Gelder Rose, Hornbeam and Oak, though the oak doesn’t grow as well for us at 305 m above sea level. So you could start them now (since you’ve got the box) and keep them in a lean-in or unheated greenhouse over the winter before planting them in fall next year. Covered in white flowers in late spring, then turning to the black rounded berries in autumn. With such an extensive habitat, there must be some innovative uses for blackthorn berries and other interesting tidbits of information about blackthorn plants. It is also possible to hard prune your mixed Blackthorn hedge in late autumn if required. If you have lot of seeds and can accept heavy dieback (like 3/4ths dying off), you can go ahead and start the process next May and plant the seedlings to the ground directly as they sprout. Blackthorn, or sloe, is a native tree that makes a wonderful deciduous wildlife hedge. Blackthorn, also called sloe bush, is part of the large Prunus family, like the apricot tree, plum tree, almond tree, peach tree and cherry tree. Planting. This is for a pack of fantastic quality Blackthorn Hedging Plants (Prunus Spinosa) Blackthorn is fast growing and will quickly make a hedge on its own but more usually it is mixed with Hawthorn and other plants such as Hazel and Beech etc to form a native hedge. BLACKTHORN Prunus spinosa, Sloe. Chose native trees and shrubs for a new hedge, e.g. Pruning and caring for hawthorn Wait for fall to cut it back drastically every 2 or 3 years. Writer Bio. Blackthorn hedge plants are also a good choice to include in a mixed native hedge. Upon planting, incorporate planting soil mix into your garden soil. This provides privacy as well as shelter from the harsh, upland winds across the open … It is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 3m in height. Hedges are handy corridors for wildlife too, and offer relative safety for animals while they move about. I think I am going to go with your very last suggestion, cutting it right down to about 6 inches from the ground and start again with it. Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois): dog’s violet, garlic mustard and hedge woundwort. Blackthorn is slow to establish and start growing. Blackthorn hedge plants, also known as Prunus spinosa, is a popular thorny, deciduous hedging species that provides seasonal interest, with pure white flowers in the spring, followed by attractive green foliage that turns yellow in the autumn.Blackthorn produces sloes in the autumn that are a hit with birds and other wildlife. For hedging where security is a priority, you need a hedge that is super tough, against the weather and those trying to get through your barrier. Usually it falls off, though, leaving the small stalks to wither. With its sharp thorny branches, it was used for many centuries to help create stockproof hedgerows to contain livestock but has since retained a useful status as a hardy hedging plant. HEDGE Trim as necessary. Serious spikes by Valary Dymond ★, Nature & Garden contributor During the beautiful spring blooming, you can snip a couple branches off from your blackthorn and arrange them in a large vase, the decorative impact will impress all! While considering the above points, it is highly recommended to choose plants that are pliable, easy and fast to propagate, and resistant to drought, pests, and diseases. A hedge height of between 1 to 4 metres is ideal for Sloe Berry tree hedging. Sometimes hedging plants or trees are planted on the hedge to increase its windbreaking height. Hedge plants are cheap, easy to plant and form an attractive boundary more quickly than many gardeners imagine. Hawthorns are easy to care for, hardy and can withstand drastic pruning. Hedges: planting. Kilnamanagh, Oulart, Gorey, Co. Wexford, Y25 RH94. Blackthorn has edible sloe berries that are used in the making of sloe gin. Planting Tips – Blackthorn Hedging Distance apart: Smaller Blackthorn plants should be planted at a distance of 30cm apart in a single row or sometimes people prefer to plant them in a double row with plants 50cm apart in each row, the distance between the two rows is usually 30-50cm. Select a planting site for your Hawthorn hedge where you want a privacy screen or barrier in full sun to partial shade. It is ideal to plant blackthorn in fall to boost root development before winter. Blackthorn Based 40/60cm Bare Roots - Discounted Pack of 100 Price: £129.99 Our Blackthorn Based MIxed Native Hedging Packs are predominantly Blackthorn which is ideal for heavy soils or coastal/exposed conditions. The instructions says to place the soil and seeds (after wetting) into a plastic bag. The plants should be planted deep enough to cover the roots. One of the issues exercising the conservation lobby at the moment is the fragmentation of good quality habitat, which need to be joined up. Growth/Year* 1ft (30cm) Dry Shade: Wet Sites: Native: Coastal Areas: Evergreen: Chalky Soil : Av. You should keep them in the bag or heal the roots into sand or soil until you are ready to plant them. Poor and clayish soil isn’t its best growing environment. Planting Ideas. Our cell grown Blackthorn plants are often used for hedge planting either on their own or mixed with other species such as Crab Apple, Hawthorn, Dog rose etc. Type – shrub It is quite a monster. The sloe or blackthorn is a common plant native to the UK that has a wide range and it found from Siberia to the Mediterranean and Iran. Blackthorn loves sunbathed locations to produce sloes. Based on the yellow-orange pollen of the snow white flowers, could this image be of a damson, apple, or hawthorn tree instead? Blackthorn blossoms in early spring (on bare branches, before the leaves appear) and Hawthorn flowers slightly later on (after leafing), so between them they offer an extended and impressive flowering period. It has a strong thick ish trunk now. Other shrubs like box or yew are better for that. Native hedging is a popular and economical method of hedge planting often used for field and land boundaries and brings a touch of the British countryside … In March and April, Blackthorn will be seen covered in a proliferation of small white flowers. You can create an attractive hedge by planting Hawthorn trees in single or double rows. Spread: 4m (13'). You probably won’t see much growth in the first two years but it should grow strongly in the third year. TREE/SHRUB 13ft x 10ft (4m x 3m) in 20 years, ultimate height 13ft (4m). This gives the new plants a good chance to get established. Peach tree…, The bigarreau cherry tree produces beautiful cherries, sweet and fleshy and firm, and its productivity is abundant. Blackthorn hedging has a fast growth rate of around 40-60cm of growth annually. Blackthorn is a thorny shrub of hedgerows and woodland edges. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Fruit – sloe, plural sloes Planting hedges instead of using fences and walls allows wildlife to travel and find food and shelter more easily, and means a bigger range of habitats in your garden! Before planting a wildlife hedge, consider its purpose. PLANTING TIPS - Bare-Root hedging is typically planted in a double staggered row of 5 plants per metre. Suitable for any normal soil and position and the following : Ultimate Height: 13ft (4m) Exposed/Windy: Hedge Height: 3-10ft (0.9-3m) Damp Shade : Av. If these instructions are correct, in which month is it best to begin this process so that the seedlings can be planted outside in the most suitable month? These are usually single stem seedlings that are around 60-80cm (2-3ft) tall and are available in our Garden Centre from mid November until March. Consider … In fact, it does generally not make a very good garden hedge, unless you have a garden large enough for its extensive root system to develop. It appreciates rather rich soil. – For this you can cut every other branch back to the trunk, reducing the remaining ones by half as well, Follow us there, comment, and share! The white flowers, about 2 It is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 3m in height. We recommend planting 6 plants per metre using the double staggered hedge method as this gives you a thicker hedge and if a plant dies, the gap can be covered over somewhat.