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I "grew" privets in Fairfield County, CT, so I suspect Northern Jersey would be similar conditions. But, you might want to think about Privets as a hedge…. First of all, they are poisonous. Secondly, since they are not evergreen in the North, privet hedges are attractive for only a portion of the year there. Privet shrubs are, prickly, invasive plants; many choose not to grow them for this reason alone. And, I DO mean invasive — a bear to try and dig out or keep contained. A scratch from a privet can be annoyingly painful, resulting in a long-lasting red weal that is slow to heal. Lastly, they do not grow very high, so for your back yard, they really won't give you a lot of privacy. A Chinese Elm — albeit a deciduous "tree" — grows even faster, and quickly reaches heights of 10 feet. When I moved to the Catskills, I planted some "twigs" I got from a mail order catalog, and this past spring I was astounded at their height and fullness after 3 years in really poor planting conditions (mostly gravel, used to be a driveway). Again, they lose their leaves, but mine are at the point where the branches still create a screen in winter. Chinese Elms can be trimmed and shaped like many other "hedge" type trees/bushes. They grow easily in full-sun to part-shade. Holly is another option, although can be expensive and you DO need a male and female plant. The great thing about Holly, though, is it is dense green foliate that lasts 24/7/365, and it does produce runners that can be culled and replanted, or stretched to increase width of the plant. The drawback is they don't grow very quickly. Hope that helps you make a choice.

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I have placed old sheets or cloths under the shrub to catch the clippings. I then rake the shrub to make the clippings on top fall down (I use the rake mostly on Junipers) and then slip the sheet out to dump in the trash.

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Bougainvillea do great along coastlines, it is native to the coastlines of Brazil and has a high salt tolerance so you have nothing to worry about. There may be some other factor where you live as to why people are telling you why not to grow them. Other plants you may want to consider are Australian frangipani and Allamanda. Below are some links to help you. The first link from the University of Florida is a great resource.

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There is a commercial grade herbicide that controls bermudagrass in most ornamental plantings (shrubs) called FUSILADE. Us the internet to i.d. Your grassy weed and then try to track down some product. If you don't have bermudagrass, then Fusilade may not control it.

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You have to either dig up the roots or use a total vegetation killer digging them up, depending on how mature the hedge is, will be a lot of work but it's a sure way to make sure they don't return. If you use a liquid vegetation killer it's not always going to kill the roots and the hedge might grow back. They do make some that are quite potent but i'm not sure if it's sold to the general public or just contractors/landscapers. Check at lowes or a home improvement store to see what they have in stock

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You are going to get a wide range of answers here, and some will be alright and others won't work. The reason is, that we have no idea where you live and which plants are hardy in your area. My advice to you is to take the list of plants that you get from us, to your local independent garden center or nursery and let them tell you which are hardy (and they can get) and which aren't. That being said, I live in USDA hardiness zone 5, my plants will all grow here. The best choice I think is Boxwood (Buxus), there are many to choose from, but specifically I like the cultivars "Green mountain" and "Green velvet". You could also consider Blue Holly (Ilex x meservae), although they might get taller than you've asked for, they are easy to trim. One other answerer suggested yew (Taxus), I think that would work alright as well. I hope that this helps Good luck-

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You can try making cuttings, although not all plants will readily propagate this way and I don't know what kind of hedges you have. It works like this: cut off a small branch, stick it in water or special cutting gel you can buy at garden centers, and then wait. If its a species that propagates by cutting, it will make roots. When its got a solid root structure, transplant to a pot or directly into the ground.

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Privet do lose their leaves, after they fall is when you can put the burlap on. You shouldn't have to keep doing it every year, I'm guessing the place you bought them from recommended it for the first year or two. Taking it off depends on the weather, do it when the nightly low temps are above freezing. I'm guessing the guy above has a boxwood, they look very similar & are a broadleaf evergreen.

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I looked at the Sunset Magazine climate zone map and find you're in zone 1. For your zone, the Barberry is a hardy, fast-growing, spiny hedge. Some grow to 8 feet tall. Also Firethorn (Pyracantha) is also fast-growing; they don't list its height. More types at the site listed below:

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"Am I right? > Whatever I cut, will it grow back doubled?" Yes, sort of….. Any time you cut off the end of an actively growing branch you have removed what is called the "terminal bud", this is the bud that makes the branch get longer. By doing so, you activate dormant "lateral buds" along the branch. It is possible that one bud may grow, or many may grow into new branches, "thickening" the shrub. I think this is what you are think of when you said "will it double-up". So go ahead and trim away some of the new growth. The buds may form at the base of any leaf that you leave, and will usually form close to the cut. In the future, as the hedge develops, be careful not to "shear" the plant, that is to cut away all of the new outside growth, or you will end up with too many small side branches and all of the foliage will be on the very outside of the plant with a bare center. – This is hard to explain, but I'm sure you've seen old shrubs and hedges with a bare center. That's caused by to many years of shearing.

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You can get some root tone, and make a mudd ball of half peat moss and soil mix. Scrape a area of a branch, sprinkle a little root tone on it, put fist size mudd ball on it, then wrap mudd ball with chesse cloth like a bandage, keep damp, in 4-6 weeks you should start to see roots coming out of the ball. Cut it off the plant and you have a new plant to start with. It like magic. Good luck. It's called cloneing.

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You can dig the cedars but if they are really large they may not transplat well and it maybe more work than it's worth. The best time to transplant is in early spring or late fall, when the trees are dormant and it is less of a shock for them. I would suggest purchasing some from a garden center (or even find a friend who may have wild cedars growing on their property to dig saplings from) and planting a new hedge. It usually takes a year for them to root down before they start growning up, but after that it will not take too long before your hedge looks great! Planting from seed will take a long time.

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Hi: Spraying for weeds close to any plant, hedge or shrub can be tricky. Since the hedges are large I don't think putting any type of landscape fabric around them will really help. Pulling the weeds are fine to do but you usually don't get the main root of the weed and it will come back. If you are in a climate where fall is around the corner, you will be able to trim the hedging back and get it under control. To spray for weeds close to the hedge roots, here is a very simple solution. Take an old cookie sheet and shield the weed killer from the hedge. You will be able to get up close with each shrub. We have done this for years with established plants and it really works. Take a look at my website and I will direct you to a page on spraying for weeds and insects. Best of luck to you and I hope this has helped some. Let me know if you need anymore tips. Kimberly http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Spraying.html

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The maximum is 1.5 metres, but it can vary by province.

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Canas ???

newhedgetrimmers.com answers:

Not only would they grow out into the roads but they would grow across the fields, across gardens, and into and over the buildings.

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3-5 years 5 years maybe, if you plant them a little high growth is columnar. Narrow when young, growing wider with age. Matures at 15-20' a yew hedge is formal, but the cost and slow growth leads me to choose cleyera or dwarf burford holly. Shearing creates a shell of foliage. Better is thinning every few years. Must be well-drained. Does not tolerate wet feet wpsy – low, broad, fast growing

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I'm of the opinion that you should buy the biggest and best shaped tree or bush that you can afford. Why take a chance to save a couple of dollars.. That "small" shrub or plant could be that way for a number of reasons. Many of which time won't cure, no matter how much of your money and time you throw at it.

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A plant's response to pruning is to generate new growth. A type of pruning know as "Heading Back" promotes a denser plant. To "Head Back" your existing Hemlocks next spring, just lightly prune the branch tips. This will result in a denser Hemlock. Do this for a couple of years and you should be able to catch these existing Hemlocks up to the new, fuller Hemlock you have just planted.

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The exact timing could be a little different in different parts of the country. Contact your local County Extension agent and they will be able to provide al the help and answers that you hope for. Monday morning should be a good time to call or go by their office.

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This plant wants some shade…. Got that?…. It's a bit taller than six ft…. One of mine's well over my privacy fence….moderate growth… Slow to start, but once it gets some size it increases exponentially!!… *smile*…..no shearing…. Pictures seem to concentrate on the coloration of the leaves!!… Darn!… They do take to shaping quite well and the pruned off stems will root and grow new plants really easy….. Here's a couple of mine in very early spring, just as they put on their new colors….. Http://groups.msn.com/Skipperdoodles/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=2013 the one by the fence is now eight ft at least… The one in the foreground is kept shorter ….the big one is a good seven to eight years old in MY garden…..but I got it as a mature plant that someone yanked out and put on the curb…….got six of them that day!!…. Hope this helps some….

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Forst ah'm shocked at yer neighbour's hedge wis 7ft tae stairt wi. Ah panic ifn mine gits tae a wee couple o' mm Noo ah've heard o jumpin affy ae wardrobe bit a shoogly shed? Fit wur ye thinkin? An fit wis she divvin ootside wi hur hedge aw exposed in e forst place? Teuchters!! Ah tell ye…

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You need to post in the gardening section. You won't get any answers here.

newhedgetrimmers.com answers:

1 Prepare a planting area for your Canadian hemlock hedge in the spring. Choose a full sun or partially sunny area and amend the soil with compost to create a rich soil mix with plenty of drainage. Spread 4 to 6 inches of compost over the planting area and use a garden spade to mix the compost in with the soil. 2 Dig holes for the hedge, spacing each hole about 5 feet apart. Make the holes about twice as wide and deep enough to enable you to plant the Canadian hemlock between 2 and 4 inches above the surrounding soil level. 3 Remove the Canadian hemlock from the temporary containers and carefully place them in the holes. Fill soil in around the roots until you fill the hole completely, with the top of the root ball slightly above the surrounding soil level. Tamp the soil down firmly by hand. 4 Water the soil generously immediately after planting the hedge. Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season without allowing it to dry out. 5 Apply mulch over the soil surrounding the hedge. Cover the exposed root ball with between 1 and 2 inches of mulch. 6 Drive a 6-foot stake into the soil about 12 inches away from the hedge. Wrap a stretchy tie around the hedge and the stake to support the Canadian hemlock during the first three growing seasons. Remove the stake, after this time, if desired. 7 Mix evergreen fertilizer with water at half the recommended strength and pour the fertilizer carefully over the soil around the hedge. Fertilize the hedge every six weeks, starting about three to four weeks after planting the hedge. Continue fertilizing the hedge through the end of autumn. In subsequent growing seasons, fertilize the Canadian hemlock with full-strength fertilizer. 8 Prune the hedge as desired or not at all. You can shear it into a formal hedge, shape it lightly or allow it to grow without pruning. Perform pruning in late winter or early spring with the hedge shears. Read more: How to Care for and Grow a Canadian Hemlock Hedge | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7998440_care-grow-canadian-hemlock-hedge.html#ixzz1HGaLNM3t on the lopping side id prune two foot below the finished height you want the finshed height to be then prune each year for a level or shaped top after ten years or so you will be at 10 inches taller the only problem is that eventually the the main trunk will want cutting lower again due to trees and shrubs growing from the bottom as well as the tops

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You should always buy the biggest and best plants that you can afford. The smaller ones will grow tall, but since most plants grow so slow it will be years before you get anything out of them. In terms of selection, most smaller nurseries have greater stocks of plants when they are in bloom since people are more likely to buy them when they are in bloom. But bigger nurseries carry plants throughout the season.

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It's going to be nearly impossible to match the size of the trunks when replacing a shrub or tree. They may very well be similar in trunk diameter. To the naked eye it really won't be very noticeable. Try to match the height & size as best you can. Not all trees in a roll/hedge grow the same way, even if they get the same amount of light, water & fertilizer. You can always trim the bushes later on to make them blend in a bit better~nothing in nature is perfect.

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Well yes, but if some of the stems have gotten too thick this may prove difficult. And as others have said it will be a very long job. The good news is you may get away with one cut this year as we are almost into August, depending on the type of hedge. It sounds like you need a friend or gardener to help you.

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First off, ask him to do it, not tell him. Florist and landscaping skills are over and above the duties of the security guard job. It also pays more. You are asking your employee to perform a task that has value that you are expecting for free. Not respectful behavior if you want to build loyalty in your employees. There are other ways to achieve the same goal by offering some other non-monetary reward or benefit for the extra effort. And companies wonder why they can't find loyal employees anymore…

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When you do cut them [now if you want] do not cut deep always cut enough to leave it green just trim do not cut to make holes it will fill in time but it looks untidy

newhedgetrimmers.com answers:

Http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/pruning_prunehedges1.shtml This link will tell you what you need to know. So do scroll down to read it all. Never cut a conifer hedge back into the brown wood, as it will not grow back & look awful. Also if it reaches about 6ft, then keep trimmed at this height or lower, do not let them grown taller or you wont be able to reach the top and they will get massive. They soon shoot out new growth, and if left uncut, would just keep spreading further over the garden borders, leaving less room for other plants and shading those already growing. You could also do a google search on Hedge cutting where you can find other info as well.

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The only way is if they tell you. You could e-mail them or IM them if they have that option on their answers Q&A page. You could also tell them the answer in a couple different paragraphs for different zones. If they don't have the e-mail or IM options, and you don't want to go into detail for different gardening zones, you could ask in your answer what zone they live in, add the question to your watch list and go back and check to see if they added their zone to the question.

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One thing to consider when planting banana plants: Dig a comfortable square, 2-3 ft X 2-3 ft., min. 1 ft deep, to be able to work in. Plant the plants, one plant per hole in the hole. Banana plants grow lots of surface roots and the following generations will be shallower and shallower. That is what the hole is for: You fill in a layer of dirt every year or according to new shoots, so there is enough soil around the roots. Otherwise the plants will be falling all over the place.

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I think you are in zone 6. But in any case, you may have variations based on microclimates on your property – local topography, windbreaks, ponds, a hill, etc.

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Check here. Http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/article/0,20633,845296,00.html#Anchor-ZONE-43793

newhedgetrimmers.com answers:

Mostly all small 2-stroke engines take a 40-1 mix. Even if that is not the exact amount your equipment calls for, it is still a safe alternative.

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Im afraid you get what you pay for, perhaps you have learnt your lesson, throw it away and spend a bit more next time,

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The model number starts with HS and then has 2 numbers after it. Usually its on the top of the housing with the pull cord.

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5 Litres of unleaded petrol to 100ml of 2 stroke oil. This is why it comes in a 100ml container to avoid any mess trying to measure the correct amount. 5L of petrol is a standard petrol can full.