A Guide to Bare-Root Hedging and How To Plant

Bare root hedging is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for an affordable and easy-to-plant hedge to create a sustainable, attractive and eco-friendly boundary. Using everyday garden equipment and tools, fertiliser and a little time and effort, planting a bare root hedge is a really straightforward project, achievable for anyone!

Our easy-to-follow guide explains exactly what bare root hedging is plus the benefits of choosing it. We also explain when and how to plant your bare root hedging and how to care for it afterwards to see it grow into a lush and thriving hedge you can be proud of.

Contents

 What is a bare root hedge?

Bare roots are plants which are grown in fields and nurtured by expert growers to ensure healthy plants. They are then carefully lifted from the fields during the dormant season in late autumn, which helps avoid transport shock, and are supplied without a soil ball around their roots, hence their name: ‘bare’ roots. They tend to be younger plants having been grown for a shorter amount of time than other hedging types such as root balls and pots.

What are the benefits of bare root hedging?

  • Lower cost - bare roots don’t have the extra cost of being grown in pots, they are grown for a shorter time and lifted without a soil ball. Overall this makes them cheaper to grow and easier and cheaper to transport.

  • Establish quickly - the roots have grown in a natural way and have not been confined by pots, so are ready to go and will eagerly find their feet in their new home.

  • Eco-friendly - with natural growing processes and no plastic pot in sight, bare root hedging is completely eco-friendly.

When to plant bare root hedging?

The ideal time to plant bare root hedging is during their dormant season when plants are at rest for the winter. This is typically from November to March, depending on weather conditions. Planting at this time (although the earlier the better) allows the roots to settle in before the plants begin to grow again in spring.

How to keep bare roots tip-top until ready to plant

We’d recommend planting bare roots as soon as you can after delivery to help them settle and avoid the roots drying out. If you can’t plant straight away, don’t worry, you can store them in two ways:

  1. Storing for a few days - keep the roots of the plants damp (not wet) and covered. A bucket is ideal with some moist compost protecting them. Store in a cool, dark location like a garage or outhouse until ready to plant, but not a greenhouse - too warm!

  2. Storing for a couple of weeks - if this is the case then you can ‘heel’ in your bare roots. This just means planting them temporarily in a shallow trench, so that the soil can protect and nurture them. Plants can last a couple of weeks like this, weather dependent. 

Preparing your planting site

To prepare the planting site, we recommend doing the following:

  • Make sure that your soil is completely free of weeds. You don’t want anything else growing and taking away nutrients from your new hedge.

  • If your soil isn’t the best, we recommend adding some organic matter such as well-rotted manure or compost. This will improve soil structure and make sure it’s fertile so it can provide lots of nutrients for the roots to take up.

  • If your soil is very wet or heavy, adding lime-free grit or sand can help drainage.

  • Dig a trench wider and deeper than the roots on your plants to allow space for the roots to spread naturally when planted. This needs to be at least 30cm wide and 25cm deep, but adjust accordingly depending on your plants. Ideally the depth should allow your

  • Don’t forget to consider spacing for your bare roots. This depends on the species being planted and the recommended planting density of those plants. If you want a dense, thick hedge in a shorter time, plant a double row with staggered plants (about 5-7 per metre). If space is an issue then a single row with less plants (about 3-5 per metre) will also knit together but will create a slimmer hedge, great for smaller spaces. 

  • Before popping your plants in, there are two things you need to do - firstly, loosen the sides and bottom of the trench with a fork to aerate the soil. This will help drainage but also allow the roots to establish quicker. Secondly, fertilise! Sprinkle some bonemeal into the trench or the backfill and work it into the soil so it can’t come into direct contact with the roots. This will then fertilise the soil but won’t ‘burn’ the roots. 

  • Tip: to keep your planting straight - use some string or twine along the trench to create a straight line and follow that.

Below are some short videos to confirm what equipment you need to plant a hedge and also how to prepare your planting site then plant your bare root hedge.

Planting a bare root hedge

Here's our step-by-step instructions for planting your bare roots:

  1. Firstly, you need to treat your bare roots with Rootgrow. Make a paste with the granules and water which will be applied directly to the roots. This all organic, natural treatment is RHS-endorsed because it allows them to establish in a much faster time. It contains friendly fungi to help the roots to take up the nutrients and water from the surrounding soil. Using both Rootgrow and Bonemeal gives your bare roots the absolute best chance of successfully establishing with lots of healthy growth.
  2. Dip each bare root in the rootgrow then gently put them into the trench with even spacing between each one. If using canes to support rabbit guards, position them carefully to avoid damaging the roots.
  3. When planting, roots should be spread out carefully in the trench - don’t twist or force them. 
  4. Once all the bare roots are in place, backfill the trench with soil. Do this in several stages, stopping to gently firm each layer down with either your foot, or the back of a spade. This helps to eliminate air pockets and ensures good root-to-soil contact. 
  5. Make sure the soil supports the plants but isn’t compacted too much to avoid any root damage.
  6. Keep repeating this process until your trench is full and the roots are covered with just stems showing and in particular the 'collar' which is the start of where the stem grew above ground.
  7. Now water. Doing this immediately after planting is vital, even in winter. Watering helps settle the soil and helps the roots hydrate straight away. Each plant will need a good dousing to make water reaches the roots - around 5 litres each, and then regular watering for the first year or two, at least twice weekly.

Mulching and moisture retention

A great way of protecting your bare roots after planting is to put bark chippings or a mulch mix around them, covering the surface. Why? Well this has several benefits: it helps to retain moisture in the soil and protects from frost, plus it also stops weeds from taking hold. Just be sure to leave a little space around the stems to avoid direct contact, which can cause rot. 

How to protect young hedges

Young hedges are delicate and do need protection from wind and in some areas from wildlife too, especially in rural areas. For deciduous hedging plants in areas with rabbits or deer, rabbit guards will help protect your plants and stop any stripping of the lower leaves. Canes will pin the guards in place. Canes or windbreak netting can also help support plants in windy areas as strong winds can displace plants. If livestock are nearby, then a temporary fence can protect the hedging plants until they are established. 

Hedge aftercare and maintenance 

It’s really important to care for your hedge plants in the first few years after planting to encourage strong growth. Weed, weed and weed some more - do not let those pesky plants gain any ground or they’ll limit the amount of food and water your hedge plants have access to. 

Lightly prune your plants after planting if needed to create an equal height across your hedge and to encourage bushy growth until your hedge has knitted together. For deciduous plants, a light prune to tidy or even things up after planting can be done, but avoid frosty conditions. After that, trim back by around a third of the new growth in autumn. Fast growing plants however, such as Hawthorn and Blackthorn benefit from new annual growth being cut back by around a half.

Evergreens differ slightly as some don’t really need cutting back at all until they are at the height you’d like, unless the side shoots are becoming a little unruly. These can be trimmed back after a year or so.

The ideal time to trim hedges is early spring or autumn. Not only does this avoid bird nesting time, but some hedges have fewer leaves making it easier to see what needs doing.

Finally, use a balanced fertiliser in spring for that added boost after winter.

Tip: Be patient! It takes time for newly planted hedging to establish. Don’t worry if things seem to be developing slowly as it’s normal for bare root plants to be slower to come into leaf or flower at first. Even evergreens can lose a few leaves or turn a little yellow - after all, they’ve just been uprooted, had a big journey and a new home all at once, so they need a little time to adjust! 

The long-term benefits of bare root hedging 

While it does take a little longer to grow a full hedge from bare roots, not only is it the most budget-friendly way of doing so, but it’s a rewarding process having nurtured it from young plants to a mature thriving hedge. A mature hedge provides a host of benefits aside from adding character, charm and privacy; it gives wildlife food and shelter and creates an attractive and sustainable boundary that is ecologically and environmentally friendly, and that with the right care and attention will last for many years to come.

 

Here at best4hedging, we have a wide range of hedge plants available during November-March/April. Explore all our bare-root hedging plants here.