Container / Pot - Privacy hedging screening advice needed

Hello !

My first post, I'm not really Green fingered, I hope someone will give me some much-needed advice.
I've bought a plot of Land in Ayrshire (West coast Scotland).
I'm hoping to get planning permission to build a house... eventually.

The site is very overgrown but exposed, I would like to grow some hedging in large pots, the reason for pot's = access is needed, heavy machinery will be on site and also planning permission hasn't been granted, therefore the layout of the garden may change.

Sooo.... the idea is- I grow hedging in pots - This will tidy the place up immediately and provide a boundary of some sorts and also some privacy for whilst the work gets underway (in about 2 years)

Will this work?
I need about 100m in total for the front back and sides I think this is about 300 bushes.
I've bought 100 15L pots already. Thinking about laurel/box/holly mix???
I want fast growing bushy evergreen hedging that will grow well and quickly in containers but will also survive being planted in windy Ayr!

I would like to keep costs down.
can you give me any advice/ comments /suggestions on my plan?

Thanks

 

Greetings @Newbie-Will
First thoughts are that it's a lot of watering for someone, even on the West Coast of Scotland. Bare rooted would be the cheapest way to buy but you are plenty late enough for this year.
If it is particularly exposed even the young growth of laurel and holly can get scorched more so if you're close to the sea.
15l pots are not that big and you would only get 1 plant per pot so that's 300 pots.
I would use a soil based compost or your own soil, as multi purpose composts lack weight when dry and you'll be picking up pots from the four corners.
I would be inclined to wait until the building is finished and would consider putting up windbreak netting until the hedging plants were established in the soil and growing away.
I hope this doesn't come across as too negative.

 

First thoughts are that it's a lot of watering for someone, even on the West Coast of Scotland. Bare rooted would be the cheapest way to buy but you are plenty late enough for this year.
If it is particularly exposed even the young growth of laurel and holly can get scorched more so if you're close to the sea.

I'm about 500 Yards from the sea. so not very close.

15l pots are not that big and you would only get 1 plant per pot so that's 300 pots.

The bushes I've been looking at have all been grown in tiny 9cm pots.I thought 15L might be too BIG

I would use a soil based compost or your own soil, as multi purpose composts lack weight when dry and you'll be picking up pots from the four corners.
I would be inclined to wait until the building is finished and would consider putting up windbreak netting until the hedging plants were established in the soil and growing away.
I hope this doesn't come across as too negative.
Not at all I want advice, You might save me a fortune in "scorched plants" I didn't think ANYTHING could get scorched in Scotland


It rains A LOT here, would they only need watering for the errrmm HOT summer months or in our case days .....

Thanks for the advice

 

Thank you
No salt Spray, I'm not that close.
The plants I've been looking at have been grown in 9cm pots.Some are about 50/60cm high.
I thought 15L was massive in comparison.
Would the plants die in a 15L pot or just not grow?
Sorry if thats a daft question

 

500 yards from the sea is not that far, I'm at least twice as far away and 100 yards higher but if there is a stiff easterly I still get salt damage especially in spring time.
As for watering the plant will shelter the rain from the pot as it gets bigger.
They can use a lot of water and it would only take a dry day or two before watering was necessary. Also they will need feeding.

 

Oh ok< i didn't realise that salt would be a factor,
I didn't realise I would have to feed them.
What about bamboo?
Could you suggest a plant that might be a little more hardy?

Thanks for the advice

 

Just a point on watering, my wife likes pot plants but when we get a spell of windy/cloudy/cold weather she doesnt comprehend it has not rained and the pots dry out.
Like here (central Scotland) we havent had rain for about a week and pots (empty) have the soil shrinking and drying out.

 

Hello Newbie-Will, I was in a similar situation when I first moved over here. My 'garden' consisted, for two long years, of hundreds of pots of trees, shrubs and perennials. It was a real challenge keeping them watered, fed and sheltered from extremes of temperature. Admittedly, some things thrived on the personal attention but it was a real slog, and no chance of going away and leaving them to it! I'd give the 'posts and shelter material' option some thought!