| Hedges are planted in the same way as other | | | | conifers until they have reached the desired |
| trees and shrubs. Instead of making a planting | | | | height of the hedge. |
| hole for each plant, however, you simply prepare | | | | Annual pruning of an established hedge will vary |
| the planting trench for the whole hedge in one go. | | | | according to the variety. As a general rule, prune |
| Bear in mind that this will be hard work, especially | | | | flowering hedge, such as quince or firethorn, after |
| on heavy soils. In the autumn, when weather and | | | | the flowering is over and use scatters rather than |
| soil conditions allow, dig over a strip three feet | | | | shears or hedge trimmers for hedges of large |
| wide, double digging down its entire length. For | | | | leaved plants such as cherry laurel. Prepare the |
| shorter, less vigorous hedges you can get away | | | | ground thoroughly. Excavate a trench at least two |
| with single digging. Remove any weeds and other | | | | feet wide and fork in plenty of manure or garden |
| debris as you can proceed and incorporate plenty | | | | compost. Add fertilizer at the rate recommended |
| of well rotted manure or garden compost into the | | | | by the manufacturer. Use a controlled release |
| soil and a handful of bone meal for every three | | | | fertilizer if planting in the autumn. |
| feet of hedge. | | | | Use a garden line, stretched along the center of |
| Allow the soil to settle for a fortnight before | | | | the trench, as a positioning guide. If the area is |
| planting or delay planting until spring. The general | | | | windy or you need a particularly dense hedge, |
| care after planting a hedge is exactly the same | | | | plant a double row. Use a piece of wood cut to |
| as for any other tree or shrub. However, as a | | | | the appropriate length as a guide for even spacing. |
| general rule, vigorous deciduous hedging plants, | | | | Make sure the roots of bare root plants are well |
| such as privet, should be cut back to six inches | | | | spread out. If planting container grown plants, |
| and evergreens and flowering shrubs cut back by | | | | tease out some of the roots before planting. Firm |
| about one third after planting to encourage thick | | | | the plants in and water well. Water the hedge |
| growth from the base of each plant. Pruning is | | | | regularly in dry weather for the first season. Mulch |
| not required after planting for slower growing | | | | to keep down weeds until the hedge is filling out, |
| deciduous plants, such as beech, and all types of | | | | after which it should suppress weeds naturally. |