Plant a fir tree as a hedge

Appearance and growth of the fir tree

In everyday use, conifers are often referred to as fir trees, although in many cases they are spruce. You can recognize fir trees by these properties:

• The needles are smooth and rounded. Unlike spruce needles, they don't prick.
• The needles are arranged outwardly parallel to the left and right.
• There is a so-called wax strip on the underside.
• the pinecone stand up. You will rarely find complete cones on earth, as the scales are still falling off the tree.
• Firs also repeatedly form branches in the lower area.

Use fir trees as a hedge plant?

Firs are very often cultivated as solitary plants in parks. They impress here with their expressive growth, which only comes into its own in individual positions. This property is lost when it is planted as a hedge, where the fir trees are regularly pruned.

In addition, a fir hedge can pose special challenges for other garden plants. With their roots that reach deep into the earth, the firs extract many nutrients and water from the soil. The falling needles change the pH value of the substrate to the acidic range, which is not good for many plants. For this reason, fir trees have not proven themselves as a hedge plant.

Well suited for hedges: the hemlock

The exception is that hemlock, which is well suited as a cut-compatible hedge plant. It is a type of conifer that looks similar to yew but is non-toxic.

However, the hemlock does not tolerate dry and sunny locations. This type of fir is also sensitive to the pressure exerted by the roots of large deciduous trees. As a shallow root, it cannot withstand stormy winds and should therefore be planted in more sheltered locations.

Extremely easy to cut

Hemlocks do very well with regular pruning. You should preferably use scissors in spring, before the first shoot. However, you should note that when pruning back into mature wood, the plant is reluctant to sprout again and, if possible, only shorten branches that are not more than three years old. Be sure to cut pyramidal so that the lower branches don't become bald.