Bare Root

Bare Root Hedging Plants

We stock so many types of bareroot hedging; it is difficult to list them all. If you cannot find what you are looking for please get in touch through our contact page, and we will try to help. Using bareroot plants, although only available when dormant, (November to March) is incredibly cheaper than using container grown material.

It is important to ensure the roots are not exposed to the sun or drying winds between lifting in the nursery and planting on site. For these reasons please keep your plants in the box or bag when planting out. We would recommend planting at 5 per metre in a double staggered row, and be sure to ‘heel them in’ tightly to ensure good root to soil contact!

Bareroot hedges - from November to March each year

So what do we mean in the nursery industry when we say ‘bareroot’? We mean hedging that has been grown in a field and then lifted when dormant for planting out into hedges by our customers.

Why do we do this? Because the alternative method of growing in containers is much more costly and not always necessary. Hedging plants are quite happy to be transplanted in this way as long as a few simple rules are remembered. Do not expose the roots to long periods of sunlight or drying winds. Keep them away from heat and in a frost free building or vehicle between lifting and replanting. We refer to these plants as hardy. Plants such as Hawthorn, Field Maple, Dog Rose, Dogwood and Hazel can all be handled in this way.

So, instead of paying several pounds for a container grown hedging plant, King & Co can provide bareroot plants for a few pence each!

The key to successful establishment of bareroot plants is the ‘heeling in’ when planting. Great care should be taken to ensure the hedging is heeled in tight to obtain good root/soil contact. Also ensure that the soil is well prepared before planting to enable the roots to find oxygen and ensure the drainage is adequate. Hedges that stand in water during wet periods will always decline and quite often die.

After your bareroot hedge has been established for a couple of seasons you may want to cut the tops back by around a third of the total height. This will encourage your hedging to bush out and become much thicker.

All in all, probably the best and most cost effective method of establishing a native hedge that may live for several centuries!

We can supply various mixtures of hedging, or recommend the correct species for you. Plants can be despatched overnight to ensure you receive them 'nursery fresh'.

How to plant Bare-root

Establishing a bareroot hedge may seem daunting to the uninitiated, but by following a few simple rules, success is nearly always guaranteed.

1 - If you don't intend to set the hedge immediately upon arrival, store the plants in a cool, frost free shed or garage.

2 - When planting out, do not remove the hedging plants from the box or bag. Exposure to sun or drying winds may lead to root desiccation and eventual failure.

3 - Do not dig huge planting pits that require laborious backfilling. If the soil is reasonably good, use the notch planting technique. Push your spade 4-6'' into the ground,open up a wide slit and place the root in at the nursery soil mark.

4 - Be sure to 'heel in' very tight. This is most important to ensure good root/soil contact. After heeling in, you should have to tug the plant quite hard to remove it.

5 - After completion of planting, mulch the hedge with either; plastic, woodchips or similar to trap moisture in, and prevent growth of weed competition.

Our Bareroot stocks will next be available from 1st November

The Bareroot season has now closed - next available November 2013 Please call us on 01376 340469 for further information

Please call us for further details, we will be happy to help