Plant This

Re: EDITOR 2 Dec 2010 - 9:42:00 AM

It generally pays off to invest time and be patient with hedges.
If the plants are already spindly, they're past regular tip pruning as a programme. Better to cut back hard to a tighter framework. Don't worry about gaps in the hedge and lack of height for now. Then clip back the new tips regularly so the shrubs bulk out gradually and eventually knit. Ordinary Acmena smithii is a big plant and should get back to where you want it before long. And to maintain density the full height of a hedge, be careful not to let the top overshadow the foliage lower down.
They'll be fine with general all-purpose slow-release fertiliser applied to manufacturer's instructions. No need for a specialised native fertiliser – unless there are things like grevilleas or banksias very close by.