· By Owen Pryce · 1 min read
Planting a bare-root hedge
Why winter is the time for hedges, how many plants a metre, and the one mistake that kills more hedges than anything else.
From November to March, hedging plants are sold bare-root: lifted from the field while they’re dormant, with no pot and no soil. They cost a third of the potted price, establish faster, and the choice is far wider.
How many a metre
For a thick hedge, five plants a metre in a staggered double row, 40 cm apart along the row and 30 cm between the rows. For a lighter, informal hedge, three a metre in a single row.
Planting
- Dig a trench a spade deep and a spade and a half wide. Break up the bottom.
- Soak the roots in a bucket for an hour. Never let them dry in the wind while you work.
- Plant at the depth they grew in the field (look for the soil mark on the stem), firm in with your heel and water.
- Mulch with 5 cm of bark or compost, keeping it off the stems.
The one mistake
Leaving the bundle out while you dig. Bare roots die in minutes in a dry wind. Keep them in the sack, in the shade, and take out a handful at a time.