General rules for planting
Follow the advice here for care of plants after delivery. Take great care that the roots are exposed to the air for the minimum of time.
- Immediately before planting, cut off any damaged root fibre, or any long straggling roots that are too deep for the slot or hole. Use sharp secateurs. Root pruning is standard nursery practice when transplanting, and stimulates the plant to produce fibrous roots. If a whole batch of plants are supplied with straggling roots, it may be better to trim them all before planting commences, under cover to minimise drying, and return them immediately to a planting bag.
- Set the plants in at the same depth as they were in the nursery, as shown by the soil mark on the stem.
- Spread out the roots as much as possible, depending on the planting method (see below).
- Firm the plants. The roots must be in close contact with the soil, and not in air pockets or cracks in the soil.
- If possible, irrigate immediately after planting in dry conditions.
Planting methods
The planting method will depend on the size of the planting stock, the soil conditions, the planting distance and the sequence of operations involved on the particular site.
Slot planting is the quickest method, and suitable for seedlings or transplants with small roots being planted in friable soil. A slot is dug as shown with a spade, and the young plant is inserted in the slot with a sideways wiping action that does not damage the root endings. Do not simply push the plant vertically into the slot, or the roots will be damaged. An alternative method which makes a larger planting space is to make a T-notch, as shown.
Slot or T-notch planting is suitable in recently cultivated soil, or through a dead grass sward or plastic sheet mulch over deep friable soil. It is not suitable for clay or heavy loam soils, as the sides of the slot will be smeared by the spade, making it difficult for the roots to penetrate. A slot or T-notch opened in heavy soil may also fail to close up properly, leaving an air pocket in which the roots will not thrive. In very friable, cultivated soil without a covering of dead grass or mulch, a T-notch may collapse as you dig it, in which case you will end up digging a hole anyway.
Transplants (1+1) or older, of most hedging species, should have a fibrous root mass which will not fit into a slot or T-notch. For these plants, you will need to dig a hole slightly bigger than the root size, and then carefully position the plant at the correct height with the roots spread in their natural position. Backfill carefully with friable soil, gently shaking the plant up and down so that soil trickles down amongst the roots. Replace the rest of the soil, and gently firm around with your foot. Don’t tread too hard, and never tread directly onto the uncovered roots. Once planted, avoid trampling the hedge line.
It’s easiest to work in pairs, with one person digging the hole, and the other taking the plant out of the planting bag, positioning and firming it. When planting mixed hedges, another person may be useful to keep a check on the planting sequence, select the correct plant and keep the planting bags closed so that roots don’t dry out.
Where the ground is being prepared by double-digging immediately before planting, the plants can be put in as the top spit is replaced, as described here.
Polythene mulch
See here for details on planting hedges either before or after the laying of polythene sheet mulch.
Trench planting
Instead of digging individual slots or holes, a trench can be dug out for planting. This is especially useful for close planting, where individual holes tend to collapse into one another and disturb the previously placed plant in the line.
Dig out a length of trench along the planting line, large enough to take the biggest plants, generally about one spit deep and 12-18” (300-450mm) wide. Pile the soil alongside. One person then positions the plant, while another shovels sufficient friable soil to cover the roots and hold the plant steady. Don’t completely backfill the trench at this stage. The next plant is positioned, and so on along the line. One person then works back along the line, backfilling, while the other treads to firm the plants.
An alternative method is to dig and plant at the same time. Dig out about 2’ (600mm) of trench, and pile the soil in a barrow to be taken to the far end of the hedge line. Then position the first plant, and continue digging the trench, using the soil to carefully cover the roots of the first plant. Continue thus along the trench to the end, using the soil from the barrow to cover the last plants in the line.
Machine planting
Mechanised planting, using machines designed for nursery stock and vegetable planting, is a very cost-effective method for long lengths of hedge on suitable ground, and can give better results than hand planting. For full details see Maclean (1992).
Weather and soil conditions
If there is a choice, plant on a still, moist day, to minimise root drying and stress on the plants. Do not plant in frosty weather, as roots will get damaged by the cold and the soil will be unworkable. Avoid very wet conditions, as the wet ground will ‘puddle’ when you firm up the plants, damaging the soil structure and causing anaerobic conditions around the roots.
