Please find a selection of our most frequently asked questions and answers relating to hedging.
If you can't find the answer your looking for please contact us for buying advice on 01206 804732 or email info@hedgingplantsdirect.co.uk
We recommend planting Bareroot plants between 40cm and 65cm apart, in a double staggered row. Hedges planted 40cm ( 5 per metre ) will make a thicker hedge faster.
Pot grown plants are slightly different. The size and habit of the plant and the pot size are the main factors which govern the appropriate spacings. Advice can be given on a case by case basis.
Buxus sempervirens (Common Box) needs to be planted at between 5 - 7 plants per metre, when used as formal edging plants at a height of 25cm—30cm. When planting specimen shrubs, 2 per metre run is the general rule, but it does depend on the size of the plants.
Bareroot shrubs can only be transplanted during the dormant time of October to March. To prevent failures we only sell bareroot during this time. If a hedging is needed out of this time period then pot grown is recommended.
No. Smaller plants do establish quicker but will in the end take longer to make a tall hedge. If you require a tall hedge quickly, the best way is to buy larger specimens. Smaller plants will have the same grow rate as larger plants if given sufficient food and water.
We stock Brown “Rainbow” spiral guards for our Bareroot whips. We have been using these guards for the last 10 years and found them very effective at keeping the saplings straight and protected from Rabbits. They offer a very low unit cost but also are very quick and simple to install.
Our guards are the following size.
24" ( 60cm )
For larger hedging we stock Green "Acorn" shelters guards. These are mostly used for trees with in hedges. They are more expensive but if you have major Deer problems unfortunately the choice is made for you. We stock 1 size, with 4 widths. 75cm High and a widths of 80-110mm.
We suggest you keep your hedge free of weed and grass for a width of 45cm ( 18” ) either side. For ease of use, a Non-selective herbicide can be applied. To keep weeds under control, composted wood chippings or bark mulch should be applied to a depth of 100mm ( 4” ). This will also help retain moisture and in the case of wood chippings, will help too introduce mycorrhizal fungi.
To keep your hedge healthy and growing fast, irrigation is a necessary requirement. We stock “Techline” which has pressure valves every 30cm ( 12” ) that drip .3 of a liter per hour.
Payment can be made by credit/debit card online and your details are sent over a secure transfer to our holding area. If we have your order in stock we will process your payment and ship immediately. We do this for a number of reasons:-
If there is a query with the order, adjustments can be made.
If the items are not in-stock or we are waiting on a delivery then your payment will not be processed until we are can ship your order. We might have stock that better suits your requirements and budget.
Unfortunately there is no easy way of suggesting how much water a hedge will need. It changes from hedge to hedge.
Underwatering will cause the leaves to burn, and if not caught quickly enough, the plants will die. You only need to get this wrong once to undo all the hard work put in. On the other hand overwatering can be just as serious. This can cause the leave to droop and the plants to decay from fungal or bacterial rots.
If you treat the hedge as a large pot plant for its first year. You must assume it cant get water for its self and that rain will not provide enough water to sustain the plants needs.
We can supply Techline irrigation which has pressure valves every 30cm ( 12" ) that drip .3 of a litre an hour. We also stock "Rain Bird" Automatic water valves. You can set the frequency of watering and length of each watering cycle.
We guarantee that all our plants are fit for purpose, healthy, and in good condition when leaving our nursery. For any reason you are dissatisfied please inform us with in 3 days of receipt. Plants can only be accepted in return if they have been looked after. Dried out or damaged plants will not be accepted. We reserve the right to refuse a refund on returned items if they are not received in good order.
If contact is made outside of 3 days, we can not be held responsible due to too many factors beyond our control. If your deciduous Bareroot hedging fails to come into leaf with in its first growing season we will replace it the following year. Please note you will be required to pay the postage for the new plants. We will not replace plants that have failed due to vandalism, drought, physical or chemical damage, Fungal or Insect damage, waterlogging, winter-damage and/or poor practice. This does not affect your statutory rights.