How To Plant An Evergreen Hedge

Step 1: You will need

Step 2: Choose your hedge

You can buy hedges in containers from garden centres or nurseries. Look for a plant with healthy foliage, and moist compost. If you buy a hedge without any soil around the roots, known as bare-rooted, it should be planted in the dormant season between November and March. If it has been grown in a container, plant it in April so it can become established before the onset of winter

Step 3: Positioning

Hedges are commonly exposed as they are used as borders, and you often simply have to plant them where they are required. Whilst the hedge is establishing itself, it is worth providing it with protection from prevailing winds with windbreak netting.

Step 4: Prepare the soil

Thoroughly fork over the soil and remove any weeds and stones from the site. Shovel plenty of manure onto the surface soil, and fork the two into each other to ensure a rich bed for planting.

Tie some string around two stakes, and pull taught in order to mark out the side of your trench. Once you have staked out a trench you are happy with, use the string as a guide and start to dig. Remember, your trench should accommodate your plants being 50cm apart, and be slightly deeper than the root balls. Using a garden fork, prick the sides and base of the hole to break up the smooth surface created by the spade. This will encourage the roots to grow outwards and help rain to move through the soil.

Step 5: Planting

Remove the plant from its pot, or remove any bags that surround the roots as we have here. Tease the roots outwards to ensure they grow away from the root ball.

The plants need to be planted at the right depth, and at fifty centimetre intervals. Ensure all the roots are below the surface, but that the base of the stem is not buried, as this can cause rot. Check it is the right depth by laying a cane across the trench. If the plant is standing too high or low you'll need to remove or add some of the soil in the bottom of the hole.

Refill the trench with the soil fertiliser mix you removed, and gently firm it up with your heel once it has reached the correct level.

Step 6: Water

Water in each plant with an entire watering can, or even a hose. Although yew can be badly damaged by waterlogging, it mustn't dry out either. Water regularly throughout spring, summer and autumn, especially when it is particularly dry.