As a privacy screen, the barberry keeps prying eyes away, but is still a real eye-catcher. We show how to plant a barberry hedge.
Their sharp thorns keep unwanted visitors at a distance and their low maintenance and location requirements mean that Barberry perfect as a hedge plant. Only the pruning can be a prickly affair - but the barberry rewards with robustness and bright flowers that magically attract insects.
Suitable barberry species for hedges
The barberry makes an excellent flowering hedge and shines with the fact that it can adapt well to urban climates, drought or even heat. In addition, it is hardy, tolerates a cut without problems and also protects against uninvited guests with its sharp thorns.
Barberries are a species-rich genus, and there is sure to be a suitable plant for every garden. While the barberry comes from very different parts of the world, the common barberry (Berberis vulgaris) at home
. A hedge made from native wild bushes is not only suitable as a privacy screen, but also offers a perfectly matching range of food, hiding places and breeding opportunities for birds, small mammals and Insects. This is the case with exotic hedge plants such as the thuja (Thuja) unfortunately only given to a limited extent. With a native shrub you can make an important contribution to the Conservation in your garden Afford. The flowers of the common barberry are for example at Bees and Bumblebees very popular, Blackbirds and grosbeak also find a tasty snack in their fruits.But other types of barberry also feel at home in our gardens and can be planted as a hedge. These include, for example, the blood barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Antropurpurea’), which is perfect as a large hedge or the small blood barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Antropurpurea Nana’) for lower hedges. From spring onwards, both are captivating with their red-colored leaves, which shine in even stronger colors in autumn. If you don't want to miss the foliage of your barberry even in winter, the large-leaved barberry (Berberis julianae) as a wide privacy screen that grows up to three meters in height and protects you from prying eyes. Evergreen hedges also form the Telstar barberry (Berberis frikartii ‘Telstar‘) And the kettleberry Amstelveen (Berberis frikartii ‘Amstelveen’).
Suitable species and varieties for your barberry hedge:
| Surname | Botanical name | Height | Leaf color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common barberry | Berberis vulgaris | 2 - 3 m | Fresh green |
| Barberry | Berberis thunbergii 'Antropurpurea' | 2 - 3 m | Brown purple |
| Small barberry | Berberis Berberis thunbergii 'Antropurpurea Nana' | 30 - 50 cm | Dark red |
| Large-leaved barberry | Berberis julianae | 2 - 3 m | Dark green |
| Barberry Telstar | Berberis frikartii 'Telstar' | 1 - 1.5 m | Dark green |
| Barberry Amstelveen | Berberis frikartii 'Amstelveen' | 60 cm - 1 m | Dark green |
Planting barberry hedge: what you should pay attention to
Since the barberry can make do with a wide variety of locations, you are hardly restricted in the choice of location for your hedge. The wood does not tolerate only completely shady locations or waterlogging. In addition, evergreen species prefer partial shade, while deciduous species can easily stand in the sun. Once you have chosen the location of your choice, it is advisable to first stretch a cord to dig the planting holes so that the hedge is nice and straight later. The planting hole itself should be 1.5 times the size of the root ball. In the case of nutrient-poor or very heavy or light soils, it is also worthwhile to use the Enrich the excavated soil with compost or fertilizer to give the young shrub the best possible start admit. Another important aspect of the new planting is the adequate water supply. Therefore, immediately when planting, the shrub is vigorously slurried with water and it is important to water regularly after planting, until the shrub has properly established itself. When planting in autumn, steady rainfall usually does this by itself, but in dry conditions it should be watered regularly for a month as required. In dry locations, you can also create a mulch layer of leaves, grass clippings or bark mulch. This keeps the moisture in the soil better, as the mulch layer reduces evaporation.
In principle, you can plant all year round, but it depends on whether you have bought container goods or bale goods. Container goods can be planted all year round, while spring or autumn are the ideal periods for bale goods. In the case of container goods, it is also important to lightly mark the roots before planting, as this promotes branching. But don't forget to wear sturdy gardening gloves when planting, otherwise you can quickly get injured by the sharp thorns.
Tip: Before planting out, remove any unwanted plants in the immediate vicinity. If these grow into the thorny bush, removing them can be a prickly affair.
Maintaining barberry hedge: special features in care
Since the thorny shrub is a fairly undemanding plant, the care can be summarized in a few lines. If regular watering is still essential immediately after replanting, the shrub only needs to be watered later during prolonged dry phases. For the perfect supply of nutrients, it is advisable to add a small dose of compost in the spring or, above all, an organic fertilizer such as our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer to incorporate. This supplies your ornamental shrub with all the important nutrients in the long term - and all without any animal ingredients such as slaughterhouse waste or horn meal.
How often you have to cut your hedge depends on whether you prefer a cut hedge or a natural hedge. Near-natural hedges offer a higher ecological value and only need to be rejuvenated every two to three years. Old and annoying branches are cut back to ground level. Cut hedges are pruned once or twice a year to keep their shape. The pruning takes place here between October and March. It is important to observe this period in order not to disturb breeding animals, for example.
Tip: Make sure that the hedge tapers a few centimeters from the base to the crown. This minimal trapezoidal shape protects you from wind and snow pressure, for example.
