Privet Privacy Hedge - lots of questions :-o

Hello!

Need your help! I need to plant a privacy hedge around my yard and I want to do it economically. I am so overwhelmed with all the information online :-( What is the best way to order shrubs online - barefoot? I haven't seen any one selling them in pots in this the best way? I like to stick to online shopping because I believe it will be cheaper than buying from a local nursery.

Also, are these easy to plant? I will probaly hire some help as I need to plant about 35 - does anyone have any idea of the average cost in the catskills New york area?. How far apart should I plan for a dense hedge? If I buy online the shrub will probably be small, right? How long does it take for these shrubs to grow?

AND... one more thing... I would like to remove some globe arvoritae are these hard to uproot? Thank you in advance for all of your help! Wish me luck!

If you look at the price for a given size of plant, you will often find better deals at local nurseries. Don't let the low prices online fool you--first of all you have to pay shipping which can really add up, and secondly the plants will be smaller than what you'd get at your local nurseries. So when you compare the price with the size of the plant, buying something bigger locally can often be a better value (not to mention you'll have a headstart on growing the hedge if you buy larger plants).

Don't get me wrong, I love mail order, but I typically only do it for things that I can't find locally, or sometimes for trees that you can't find in small sizes at local nurseries (my car won't fit huge trees, nor do I have the physical capability to dig a big enough hole and wrestle them into it, so I'll buy smaller ones online instead and realize that I'll have to wait a bit longer before they get to decent size)

You might also try looking at a Home Depot or Lowes. Check with a local nursery for ideas about the shrub/tree you should be looking for..what does well in your area...and is a fast grower...and most disease resistant...etc.etc...

Sometimes the big box stores will have decent prices for small shrubs (Iike leyland cypress.) You can find size small enough for you to dig the holes required and these are fast growing. Leyland Cypress are not appealing to me but can make a living wall in short time. I don't know if long lived or a good choice for your area. Also if you go to a regular nursery -- try to get them down on the price -- if you are buying a lot they can offer a better price and many will warranty the shrubs most of the time. I think even the big box stores offer some kind of warranty. With regards to how easy to plant.. it depends on the tools you have to do the job, the size of the thing you are planting, and the area you have to plant it in...(the type of soil, presence of roots and rocks, etc etc) and last..your physical abilities. (Not listed in any particular order of importance --- you can have the tiniest thing to plant, in the world's best and most agreeable 'digging' soil, but if you are digging with a plastic spoon.... well you get my point. ) Ask around your area folks there will know what works best and will be suited to the conditions of your site. Good Luck.

Thank you both. I am really looking for find information as to what is better to purchase bareroot or in a pot and what best online stores are out there.

I am pretty set on the Privet, but have researched a bit more and now am thinking that Arboritae would be better. Any information on the differences between these 2 would be great.

Thanks!

Some plants tend to be most frequently offered bare-root, and others most frequently offered in pots...but if you find the plants you want both ways you can get either one. Bare-root will tend to be cheaper by mail order since you aren't paying to ship soil, but they require a little more effort because you need to get them potted up or planted right after receiving them, vs ones in pots you can let sit around for a while until you can get around to planting them. If you do mail order, make sure you check the GardenWatchdog http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/ for your nursery before buying, that way you can minimize your chances of getting bad plants or being ripped off.

But...I would strongly recommend checking your local nurseries & big box stores vs buying online--I expect both privet & arborvitae are both readily available in your area and I think you'll get a better size plant for your money that way vs online, plus you can see what you're buying so you can get plants that already have a nice shape that'll give you a good start for your hedge. If you're going to hire someone to plant them for you, you could work with a local landscaping company--if you're buying the plants from them and having them do the planting you'll probably get a better deal than if you buy the plants somewhere else and then bring them in to do the planting.

As far as privet vs arborvitae--I think they should both do OK in your area so it's really about which one you like the look of more. Privets will probably be a little easier to manage on pruning if you accidentally put them a bit too close together--arborvitae tend to get dead & brown on the inside and green just on the outside, and if you prune back into the brown part they won't regrow from there, so make sure you're really careful on your spacing so that you don't have to prune them too much later. But privet is invasive in some areas (not sure if your area is one of them though--but you might do a bit of homework on that before buying)