Guide to planting and caring for a new hedge

1)       The plants have been grown in a soil-less compost where the only nutrients have been added through slow release fertilisers.

2)       To encourage the plants to establish, the roots must be surrounded by a minimum of 10cm   (4 inches) of composted soil. It is therefore recommended to dig trenches as follows

§         50 litre pots  - 50cm deep by 60cm wide (20 by 24 inches)

§         35 litre pots  - 40cm deep by 60cm wide (16 by 24 inches)

3)     When digging the trench it is important to separate the vegetable soil (top soil) from the sub-soil. The sub-soil should be disposed of and not reused.

4)     Well-rotted manure should be mixed with the topsoil, at a rate of 1 cu.m. of manure to 4 cu.m. of topsoil.

5)     The plants are designed and grown to form a continuous hedge, so they should be planted at 0.5 metre spacing. Side shoots should be either intertwined with the neighbouring plant or cut back.

6)     You may be provided with additional fertiliser depending on the season. This should be sprinkled on the soil around the plant after planting as follows:

§         50 litre pots  - 150g (6 oz) per plant

§         35 litre pots  - 100g (4 oz) per plant

1)     Plants must be watered DAILY between delivery and planting

2)     After planting the hedge, plants should be treated as if they were still ‘pot’ plants, as far as watering is concerned, until their roots are established which could take up to 6 months if planted in April.

3)     During hot and windy conditions the new plants will need daily watering. (Please note that light showers will have little effect). Continuous slow watering through porous hose pipe (Leakypipe) is recommended.

4)     Main pruning should be carried out from May to July, depending on species and growth. A trim to tidy up the hedge in late summer/autumn is also recommended.