PRIVET PRIVACY HEDGES 30 GIANT PLANTS 36"-60" FAST !!! Plant any time of year.OVER 3-5 Feet tall NOW.Sun/Shade Start Price USD 87.00 Current Price USD 87.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, July 30, 2008 End Time Saturday, August 09, 2008 Location Southeast USA See more about 'PRIVET PRIVACY HEDGES 30 GIANT PLANTS 36"-60" FAST !!! ' Description Greetings fellow gardeners and gardeners in training! You are bidding on 30 evergreen plants, plus extras, each measuring at least 36"-60" inches.  Each plant has branches or branches forming (these are not 'whips' like other shippers send).  After the original soil is removed, we carefully pack them in wet organic peat moss, wet newspapers, bags, and a firm outer box to ensure your new plants are moist upon arrival.  Planting instructions are detailed at the bottom of this item description and also enclosed with every order. Ligustrum vulgare, or European Privet, was first introduced to America by the wealthiest of the first settlers for use as a formal hedge.  It has since become a naturalized plant established and hardy in over 28 states including Montana, Michigan, Vermont, Utah, New Meico, Texas, the entire Eastern seaboard, as well as much of Canada, just to name a few. Other versions of privet (incorrectly called vulgare by some other sellers but just look closely at their photos or ask me), including Amur, or Amurense, Chinese privet, Japanese privet, and waxleaf ligustrum, with larger leaves and sold commercially cannot compare to the true Ligustrum vulgare privet in the areas of rapid growth rate in both Spring and Summer in almost any soil conditions, the hardiness to both cold (down to -38 degrees) and heat (zone 10), and the ability to be pruned into extreme shapes (topiary) as the European privet.  Other privets may not be evergreen in the colder climates and their coarser texture (larger leaves) are more difficult to shape into intricate hedges and topiaries. These European privet plants have been established on our farm for over 70 years and also have been thriving on neighboring old home sites since the 1800's. The plants, once established, can grow 3-5 feet per year where some moisture is periodicly available but no watering is required for survival in almost all locations.  Some rain = faster growth.  They form a dense, evergreen shrub or privacy screen and an effective barrier from unsightly neighbors, roads, pool areas, etc.  They are hardy from zone 3 (down to -38 degrees F) to zone 10 and evergreen (holding their leaves through winter) from zone 4 and warmer.  You can easily find your hardiness zone by doing a web search for 'hardiness zone map'. The plants thrive in wet soil, sandy soil, clay, loam, dry soils, poor soils, and a wide range of pH conditions, so soil quality need not likely be a concern unless you live in the desert.  Privet vulgare reaches a width of 6-8 feet and a height of 12 feet or more though we have 20 foot tall plants in mostly shade here that have been allowed to grow unpruned (photo available upon request).  With their small leaves and fine texture, you can prune them and maintain them in a formal hedge, short or tall, or allow them to grow in their natural rounded habit.  There are No problem pests or diseases known and no thorns.  Deer and other wildlife prefer not to eat privet unless there is nothing else to eat, according to the Department of Agriculture and our own findings in deer heavy areas. Privet ovare does NOT spread by shoots from the roots so it will not creep into other areas whatsoever.  Mature plants form white fragrant flowers followed by berries (seeds) that birds love and return for year after year.  Seeds require freezing temps (stratification) to germinate.  Germination is very slow and baby plants eventually can emerge from seed where there is no maintenance, such as mowing.  All facts above can be found in the USDA website (http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch) or ask me if you have trouble finding it on that huge site.  Also there for your reading enjoyment is the lowdown on the other privet varieties (to some, vulgare imposters). Again, you are buying 30 plants, plus extras, 36"-60" inches tall, with branches formed or forming (not whips) and with healthy roots.  After the soil is removed (they are usually dug from the poorest of hard red clay), we pack them carefully in wet, organic sphagnum peat moss, wet newspaper, and bags before sealing them into a firm, outer box to ensure moist plants upon delivery.  Everyone recieves extra plants. Digging and shipping is performed on Monday-Friday to help meet demand, weather permitting, first come first serve with plants packed wet and heavy enough to stay moist for days in the box.  If you prefer your delivery late in the week rather than early in the week, please specify and we will ship yours on Tuesday or Wednesday. Every effort is made to have shipments completed within 7 business days or sooner. We prefer Paypal, but will also happily accept money orders, cashiers checks, or personal checks (please allow 10 business days for personal checks to clear). Planting instructions:  Upon arrival, please open your package as soon as possible and fill the root bags with water in the shade without letting the plants stand in water for more than 24 hours.  Poke a small hole in the bottom for drainage if more time is needed. (established plants can tolerate flood conditions).  A depth of 10" prepared hole or trench is recommended though privet vulgare is the only privet that can survive in 2" of soil (according to the USDA).  Keep the plants as wet as possible for the first few weeks or until 2" of new growth is evident (which is why we recommend a 10" hole) .Use soil ammendments if available and/or if you wish to for fastest growth but most native soils are adequate.  DO NOT fertilize until 2 inches of new growth or more have been confirmed as the recovering roots are sensitive until after they bounce back from transplanting.  Some or even many leaves may drop during the first week or so, though some people claim to have no leaf loss whatsoever.  Leaf drop is normal, however, and will soon be replaced by new leaf buds and more branches.  After the first season, you will likely never need to water your privet hedge again unless you want to. Please any buyer west of Texas please add $6.00 to the shipping cost to help offset the postal increases (we often pay more for shipping than the buyer pays because of the wet packing and the box is usually well over 15 pounds.) References are available from previous privet buyers upon request. Thankyou and we hope you enjoy bidding now, and enjoy your plants for generations. Place a Bid!