With a hedge of crabapple bushes, you can give your garden structure and keep prying eyes away. You can find out how to properly plant and care for this gentle alternative to the garden wall here.
How do you plant and care for a crabapple hedge?
A crabapple hedge should be planted in autumn in a sunny, protected location with nutrient-rich, fresh, moist soil. Planting distance: 200-300 cm. Care includes regular watering, fertilizing from March to September and cutting twice a year (late winter and mid-June).
How to properly plant crabapples as a hedge
They provide crabapple bushes with an ideal starting point if you choose autumn as the planting time. In the sun-warmed soil, the tree can concentrate on vital roots shortly before the leaf-free period. Choose a sunny, protected location with nutrient-rich, fresh, moist soil. How to plant Malus hybrids professionally:
- Dig planting pits at a distance of 200 to 300 cm with twice the volume of the root ball
- Place the potted young plants in the middle so that the root ball is just below the surface of the soil
- Tamp the soil, water it and mulch it with leaves, bark mulch or compost
When measuring the planting distance, please maintain the legally required distance from the neighboring property. If in doubt, ask your local building or regulatory authority.
How to maintain a crabapple hedge for a blooming bulwark
With a balanced care program, a crabapple hedge fulfills its function as a magnificent, architectural element with flying colors. We have put together all the important details about successful cultivation for you here:
- Don't let the soil dry out
- Fertilize every 3-4 weeks from March/April to August/September
- Ideally rake in compost, bark humus or horn shavings and water again
To ensure that a crabapple hedge maintains its shape, prune shoots that are too long twice a year. The bushes receive their main pruning in late winter in conjunction with thorough thinning. The more restrained you are, the more buds will remain on the shoots for a lush display of flowers and fruit. The hedge receives a light topiary around St. John's Day in mid-June.
Tip
Cultivated as a hedge, crabapple is of invaluable ecological value. From a height of 180 cm, the bushes serve as a cat-safe retreat and breeding place for birds. During the barren winter period, your feathered garden inhabitants will find a rich source of nutrition in the non-toxic fruits.
