Ligustrum Ovalifolium (hedge privet)

Ligustrum Ovalifolium (hedge privet)

This hedge privet is semi-evergreen. In harsh winters, the plant tends to shed its leaves before new leaves appear. During mild winters, you can count on a green, dense hedge throughout the year. The hedge privet is easy to maintain. The placement is also not important. It grows everywhere. In the spring you will see that there are nice smelling flowers on the plant and after that black currants appear. If you keep the hedge tight and prune it regularly, no flowers or berries will appear.

Privets grow in all corners of the world. They are therefore used to all kinds of weather types. That’s why this plant is very strong and healthy.

Why choose a Ligustrum Ovalifolium?

• The hedge privet brings is very elegant.
• The plant is strong and winter hardy.
• It grows fairly quick, so that the hedge is high and opaque tight. Good for your privacy.
• The plant is semi-evergreen. In severe frost it can lose leaves, but if it is a mild winter, the hedge will remain green all year round.
• Its placement is not that important. It thrives almost everywhere.
• You will like the flowers. Bees and butterflies certainly like their presence.
• Birds cannot stay away from the black currants. That is why there is always something to see in your garden.
• Pruning the hedge privet is no problem at all, you can even do it rigorously.

When is the best time to plant a hedge privet?

The Ligustrum Ovalifolium can be planted all year round; although winter is really the best time to do this. Please note: when it freezes, do not plant the hedge privet.

How do you plant a Ligustrum Ovalifolium?

1. Remove weeds from the area where you will be placing the hedge. It is important that the roots make optimal use of the nutrients in the soil.
2. Dig a trench that is at least 35 cm wide and 50 cm deep. Stretch a rope before digging. This way you will get a straight hedge.
3. Stir up the soil in the trench and mix it with a soil improver.
4. Place the plants along the trench where you want them. Satisfied with the distribution? Place the hedge plants in the trench; upright and in the center.
5. Fill the trench with soil. Make sure to cover the roots completely. They do not want tob e exposed to direct sunlight.
6. Press the soil so that the hedge will remain steady.
7. Water the plants enough in the coming period until the plants are well established.

Tips

The hedge privet does not grow very well in the shade. Preferably , plant it in the sun or in partial shade.

Provide moist soil, but make sure the soil is not too wet.

The roots do not like direct sunlight, so cover them with soil.

When ordering this plant, please note that there is a 10 per cent plant failure rate. For this reason, we recommend ordering 10 per cent extra plants and placing the remaining plants in an unused area of your garden. The plants will then grow just as fast with the rest of the plants and this way, you will always have enough spare plants in case of failure. In case of failure, simply replace the broken plant with one of the spare plants. As these plants are in the same growth phase as the rest of your hedge, you won't even notice that a plant has been replaced. 

Placement

The Ligustrum Ovalifolium can reach a height of 5 meters. Give the plants enough space to grow. Therefore, do not put them very close together.

You need 4 or 5 per linear meter.

The hedge privet grows about 30 cm annually.

Advice & Care

• Give the plant enough water, but not too much.
• The best time for pruning is between May and September. For a tight hedge it is necessary to prune it at least twice a year.
• Use a sharp hedge trimmer for pruning.
• Prune when it is cloudy, not in direct sunlight, because there is a chance the leaves will burn.
• Our advice is not to prune the hedge privet after the end of September. This way you allow the plant to recover before winter starts.
• Fertilize once every six months. The plant grows better as a result, the roots do not have to look for nutrients elsewhere and diseases and pests won’t visit your hedge. You can use special hedge fertilizer, but compost or garden peat are also fine.

Known disorders of the hedge privet

The Ligustrum Ovalifolium is strong, but there is still a chance that it will develop a disease. You can reduce this chance by buying good quality plants, taking good care of it and fertilizing it every six months.

Below is a list of diseases and pests that can occur. Is your privet sick or are do you have other concerns? Please contact Haagplanten Heijen. We can provide you with advice on how to battle the disease.

Green apple bug - the foliage on the top of the privet becomes frayed and holes will appear.

Larvae (caterpillars) of the privet pintail - scattered all over the shrub, holes appear in the leaves.

Small winter moth - green caterpillars eat the sprouting tips of the young leaves.

Brush beetle - this beetle eats the soft parts of the white flowers.

Verticillium - the privet withers. Cause: a soil fungus that disrupts the sap flow in the roots.

Leaf spot (Cercospora) - brown and black spots develop on the leaf. Over time, the leaves fall off.

Advantages and disadvantages of the hedge privet

Benefits

• The Ligustrum Ovalifolium is a graceful hedge plant.
• It is winter hardy.
• The plant is semi-evergreen. It loses leaves in severe winters. If it doesn't get that cold, it will not lose its leaves until spring when the new leaves appear.
• Plant it where you want.
• You can create low and medium hedges.
• The hedge will be high and  opaque in no time. You will enjoy your privacy.
• You can easily prune the hedge privet.
• The plant is strong. Take good care of it, and diseases and pests will pass your hedge.

Cons

• It may lose leaves in harsh winters. But don't worry: it will get new ones in the spring.
• The hedge privet does not like to be in soaking wet soil.
• The leaves, flowers and berries are poisonous. Be careful with small children and pets.
• Some people think the Ligustrum Ovalifolium is a bit old-fashioned.

Conclusion

The Ligustrum Ovalifolium is very beautiful in your garden, it is strong, winter hardy and it is very easy to maintain. The hedge privet is a rewarding plant that forms a graceful hedge and offers instant privacy when used as a partition. If that's not all, the countless butterflies, birds and bees will bring a lot of life to your garden.

Does such a hedge privet seem like something for you? Order it immediately. Do you have any questions? Don't hesitate to ask them.

*Please note that bare rooted plants are not covered by the growth guarantee and right of withdrawal.