Hedge Planting and Maintenance

Anyone can plant a beautiful hedge, but hedge planting and maintenance should be done right. There is more to it than simply digging a hole, placing the plants in it and giving them plenty of water. As a source of information on hedge plants, we would like to inform you about the right way to plant your hedge. Following these instructions will result in a hedge that will be as healthy and beautiful as possible for the longest possible time. After all, you have spent quite some time and effort finding the hedge plant that best fits the appearance and the circumstances present in your garden, so it deserves nothing less than to be planted and maintained properly.

Planting Your Hedge

The best way to start planting your hedge is by preparing your garden for its new inhabitants. Once you have decided where to plant your hedge, remove all the weeds from that area, so they will not absorb any of the nutrients your new hedge needs to grow. Then dig a ditch along the length of your new hedge. Marking the centre of with a rope or twine will help you dig a straight ditch. This ditch should be about 10 centimetres deeper than the roots of the plants. After digging, perforate the soil to provide proper drainage and throw a layer of about 5 centimetres of soil back into the ditch. This loose soil will give the roots of your plants room to develop. Then place the plants in the middle of this ditch and close it up with the rest of the soil.

Maintaining Your Hedge

Once your hedge has been planted, make sure to keep the surrounding area weed-free at least until the hedge has become established. Watering your hedge is also an important part of hedge maintenance, as it needs at least 5 litres of water twice a week in order to stay strong and healthy. Rain is of course an important source of water for a hedge, but make sure you water your hedge frequently to keep it from drying out. Evenings are the best time of the day to water your plants. If you water your plants during the day, there is a chance that the water will evaporate before it actually reaches the roots. Especially in the summer.

Pruning Your Hedge

While the steps described above are more or less the same for every deciduous or evergreen hedge plant, the pruning requirements vary wildly. Some deciduous hedge plants do not need more pruning than removing dead and diseased branches once a year, while some fast-growing conifers, such as leylandii hedges, need at least two serious pruning sessions per year. Pruning is best done during overcast days between May and September. Flowering hedges are generally trimmed directly after flowering.