Japanese knotweed: how do you get rid of it?
Why Japanese knotweed is so persistent, what Belgian law has said since 2025 and the methods that really work in a garden.
Cherry laurel, thuja or mixed hedge: which hedge should you choose?
A hedge is a choice for twenty or thirty years. It needs to block the view, withstand our climate and stay easy to maintain. Here are the three main options in Belgian gardens, with their strengths and limitations.
Cherry laurel: fast, but less and less recommended
Evergreen and fast-growing, it quickly forms a dense screen. That is why you see it everywhere.
But its fruit is spread by birds and it takes hold in nearby woodland. It is listed in the Belgian database of invasive alien species, and in Wallonia planting it is banned within 50 m of watercourses and protected sites.
Thuja: uniform, but fragile
Thuja forms an even green wall, but it does not regrow from old wood: pruning too hard leaves permanent gaps. It copes poorly with long droughts, and a single-species hedge offers little food for birds and insects.
The mixed hedge: our recommendation
A hedge made up of several native species is more resistant to disease, welcomes wildlife and changes its look through the seasons.
- For a year-round screen: hornbeam and beech, which keep their dry leaves in winter when clipped, with holly or yew.
- For a flowering, informal hedge: hawthorn, dogwood, viburnum and hazel.
- For a low hedge: common privet, semi-evergreen and easy to clip.
Distances to keep from your neighbour
Since 1 September 2021, the Civil Code has set a minimum distance from the boundary: 2 m for trees 2 m tall or more, measured from the middle of the trunk, and 0.5 m for other trees, shrubs and hedges. You can depart from this with your neighbour’s agreement.
A grant for planting in Wallonia
The Walloon Region subsidises the planting of hedges of native species: €5 to €9 per metre depending on the number of rows, increased by half if a company carries out the work, up to a limit of 80% of the invoice.
The hedge must include at least three species from the official list, be at least 20 m long in a residential zone and be kept for thirty years. The application is made online within six months of planting.
When should you plant?
From November to March, outside frosty periods: this is the season for bare-root plants, which are cheaper and establish better. We help you design the hedge, plant it and put together the grant application if your project qualifies.
This article gives general guidance. Rules change and can differ between municipalities: always check with your municipality before starting work.
