How to plant bare-root hedging

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. We based this walk-through on the best4hedging video "How to plant a bare root hedge". Best4hedging is a UK hedging specialist and the guide is clear and practical, covering the key steps well. Worth watching before your plants arrive.

1. Order early and heel in if needed

Bare-root season runs roughly November to March, though October orders are common for November delivery. Most UK hedging suppliers sell out of popular species like hawthorn, hornbeam, and beech well before spring, so order as soon as you know what you want.

If your plants arrive and the ground is frozen or you are not ready, you can heel them in temporarily - dig a trench in a sheltered spot, lay the roots in loosely, and cover with soil. Keep them moist. They will keep for a few weeks without problems.

2. Prepare the ground properly

This is the single most important step. Clear the planting area of weeds, especially perennial weeds like couch grass and bindweed - these are very hard to remove once the hedge is established.

Dig over the trench to a spade's depth and fork through the bottom to break up any compaction. Work in compost or well-rotted manure if you have it. In East Kent's chalky soils, this matters. The initial soil prep makes the difference between a hedge that romps away and one that sulks for years.

3. Soak the roots before planting

Before you plant, put the roots in a bucket of water for an hour. This rehydrates them and gives them the best possible start. They often arrive dry from storage or delivery.

Do not leave them soaking for more than a few hours and do not let the roots dry out between the bucket and the ground. If you are planting a long run, keep the waiting plants covered with a damp hessian sack or a bin bag.

4. Dig a trench, not individual holes

A trench is faster and gives more consistent depth than individual holes. Make it about 30 to 40cm wide and deep enough to bury the roots to the same level as the soil mark on the stem - you can usually see the old soil line as a faint colour change on the bark.

For a single-row hedge, one trench is fine. For a thicker, more traditional hedge, plant in a double staggered row with 30cm between rows.

5. Space plants correctly for the species

Spacing varies by species. Hawthorn, blackthorn, and field maple: 3 plants per metre in a single row. Hornbeam and beech: 2 to 3 plants per metre. Privet: 3 to 4 per metre. Yew: 2 per metre.

It is tempting to plant close together for a quicker result, but giving plants a little more room means they establish faster and suffer less competition in the first year. A gap in a hedge is easier to fill than a row of stunted plants.

6. Plant and firm in well

Place each plant at the right spacing, spread the roots out gently, and backfill with the soil you removed. Firm the soil around each plant by pressing with your boot - not stamping hard, just enough to remove any air pockets around the roots.

Check each plant stands at the right depth. Planting too deep risks rotting the stem; too shallow and the roots dry out quickly in spring. The original soil mark on the stem is your guide.

7. Mulch the planting strip

Apply a 7 to 10cm layer of mulch along the planting strip - woodchip, bark, or well-rotted compost all work. Keep it away from the stems themselves. Mulch keeps weeds down and retains moisture, both of which matter enormously in the first growing season.

You can also use a weed-suppressing membrane under the mulch for the first couple of years. It is not essential but it makes life easier on a long run.

8. Water through the first dry spell

Bare-root plants planted in winter often need very little watering because the ground is usually moist. But in a dry spring - which East Kent does get - newly planted hedging can struggle. Water thoroughly during any dry period from March through to June of the first year.

A good soak once a week is better than light watering every day. You want the water to reach the full root depth, not just wet the surface.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard for preparation work - clearing ground, shifting old fencing, or breaking up compacted soil. Hedging itself is a manageable DIY job once the ground is ready, but the prep on a long run can be hard physical work.