Escallonia is a beautiful hedging plant that will brighten up your borders with pink, white or red flowers and vibrant green foliage.
But how to grow escallonia hedge, I hear you cry? Don’t worry, we are here to tell you everything you need to know about growing this lovely plant into a pretty hedge.
How To Grow Escallonia Hedge
This plant is fairly easy going and tolerant, but there are some thing you need to know in order to get it living its best life.
- Escallonia prefers a full sun position, so ensure that you site it with as much natural sunlight as you possibly can.
- The soil will need to be good and well-draining, and if it is heavy or clay soil, it will need to be improved using organic matter.
- You will need to ensure that it is protected from cold winds, as escallonia will not tolerate this.
- When you first plant your shrubs, they will need to be well watered while they are establishing themselves.
- Once fully established, escallonia is very low maintenance and won’t need regular feeding, though you can apply some fertiliser once a year if you feel like it.
- Escallonia can reach to around 3m with a 2.5m spread (depending on variety), so plants will need to be sited about 45cm apart.
- You shouldn’t need to prune your escallonia as it has a nice natural shape, but if it grows too large for the space then you can give it a trim.
- Ensure that you prune before the beginning of spring, so that the new growth can still occur.
- A hard pruning will mean that escallonia will not flower that same year, but the blooms will return the following year.
This article is not specific to escallonia, but all shrub plants have very similar requirements, so have a look through for some inspiration.
How Quickly Does Escallonia Grow?
Your escallonia will not outgrow its space too quickly, as they grow at a rate of around 25-45cm a year.
This is ideal for any garden, as you know that your hedge will be established without going too crazy and taking over your garden!
If you feel your escallonia is getting out of hand, you can prune parts of it – but bear in mind that a hard pruning will discourage flowering in that year.
How Do You Thicken An Escallonia Hedge?
A good thick hedge is not only attractive and great for all sorts of wildlife, it also makes an excellent screen against nosy neighbours.
If your escallonia hedge is looking a little thin and weedy, you may be considering grubbing it up and starting again – but you can thicken it up fairly easily.
- Give it a good pruning in the early spring, before the new shoots have started to appear and the growing season is well underway.
- Drench the soil with a good amount of water (assuming your soil is well draining, because no plant wants its roots to sit in water).Feed with a good quality, organic plant food – seaweed is a great bet, or some well rotted manure.
- A solution of copper sulphate and water is great to finish off – this will help to remove and traces of fungal infections.
- If your escallonia is looking sad because of a fungal infection, make sure to prune off as much of the affected wood as you can.
- It may take a year or so to get your escallonia back to its former glory, but as long as you keep on top of the feeding and pruning regime you will help it enormously.
Why Is My Escallonia Not Growing?
Escallonia is a tolerant, easygoing plant that should grow quite happily – if it is not, then there are a few things to consider:
Is it warm enough? Escallonia likes as much sun as it can possibly get, so if it is planted in shade then it will not thrive.
Does it have good soil? This plant needs good, well draining soil to ensure that it is not sitting around getting soggy roots.
Is it getting enough water? This plant will need regular watering to help it stay healthy – it can cope with a little dryness, but prolonged drought will make it unhappy.
Is it getting too much water? Although it needs to drink, escallonia will not like to be sitting around in water which can make the roots rot.
Does it have a disease? Although fairly hardy, escallonia is susceptible to fungal infections. Check the leaves for brown or black spots, or premature leaf shedding.
Is it cold? Escallonia is sensitive to sudden temperature drops, and a frost can damage the leaves – and the whole plant.
Does it have pests? Aphids, scale and spider mites can affect the escallonia and feed on the sap, weakening the plant.
Does it have enough nutrients? Although it is not a particularly “hungry” plant, escallonia will need to have enough nitrogen, iron and other minerals in the soil.
Escallonia is a great, hardy plant that likes to grow for a pastime, so if yours is not then there will always be a reason for it that you should be able to fix.
This video shows you one of the most common escallonia diseases that can affect their growth, and how you can deal with it:
What Is The Lifespan Of The Escallonia?
The great news is that once you plant this hedging plant, you should be able to keep it for a good long time!
Escallonia can typically last 10 to 20 years, provided it is well maintained in its favourite conditions.
Obviously it will take a few years to become fully established and to grow at its full speed, but you will have plenty of time to admire it!
Escallonia can grow between 25 and 45 cm per year, so it is a great choice for those who want to see strong growth fast.
Final Words
So there you have it – a comprehensive guide to just about everything you need to know about how to grow escallonia hedge.
Once you have figured out the basics, this pretty little plant is not hard to grow, and it will reward you with flowers and leaves for many years to come.
