Instant Hedging

Further Information about Instant Hedging

Which Type of Instant Hedging Should I pick?

There are many different instant hedging plant species for you to choose from. Whether you’re interested in Cherry Cornelian Hedging, changing colours all year round, with its beautiful yellow flowers in winter and gorgeous red fruit in the summer or perhaps something a little more traditional Common Box Hedge.  What we know for sure is that you’re bound to find a species suitable for your garden. Instant hedging is a great way to get some privacy without having to wait for the plants to grow out. They also add texture and character to any outdoor space, no matter how big or small.

Browse our range of instant hedging species above to find the perfect fit for you. If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to contact our team of experts on 01580 765600.

Why Choose Hopes Grove Nurseries?

Hopes Grove Nurseries are a leading UK hedge plants provider with over 30 years of experience. Our dedicated team of experts will lend a hand in choosing the best instant hedging plants for your garden. We provide all of our plants with the best care to ensure that they grow strong and healthy, so that when they arrive at your home they are ready to flourish. We love what we do and we are proud to see our homegrown plants thrive in green spaces all across the country.

Over the years, we’ve enhanced our growing process with the help of our talented and passionate staff, which allowed us to provide the highest quality instant hedging plants in the UK. From Green Beech Hedge plants, to Holly Blue Hedging and Privet Wild Hedging, our experts value the quality of our plants.

We grow all of our instant hedges on our 80-acre site in Kent. With over half a million plants being grown at any given time, we can honestly say we stock the best instant hedging plants, available for delivery directly to your door.

From the moment they are planted on our site to the moment they arrive in your garden, each of our team members ensures that your instant hedging plants receive all the TLC they need, so that they’re in their best condition when they reach you.

We are far more than a hedging seller. We work with you to recreate your vision for your garden, so that you can enjoy it with your family for years, and decades to come.

Call us today on 01580 765600 to get your expert advice.

Some useful planting and aftercare information for Instant hedging

Instant hedging plants are always delivered on a pallet because of their size, they can be left on the pallet for a day or two making sure they are kept well-watered. The ground should be prepared in a trench as with other types of hedging, the size of trench will depend on the type of instant hedging you have ordered

20 litre hedge troughs – prepare a trench at least 20cm deep and 25cm wide to allow for backfilling, making sure the base and sides of the trench have been loosened with a fork. The trough itself is approx. 17cm wide and 17cm deep. Plant these with the the rootballs just touching to give a continuous instant hedge with each section giving 100cm coverage.

40 litre trough hedges – prepare a trench at least 25cm deep and 30cm wide to allow for backfilling making sure the base and sides of the trench have been loosened with a fork. The trough itself is approx. 20cm wide and 20cm deep. Plant these with the the rootballs just touching to give a continuous instant hedge with each section giving 100cm coverage.

75 litre trough hedges – prepare a trench at least 35cm deep and 40cm wide to allow for backfilling making sure the base and sides of the trench have been loosened with a fork. The trough itself is approx. 30cm wide and 35cm deep. When planting this size of trough be sure to set them at 1 metre centres – the trough itself is approx. 94cm long so there should be a 6cm gap in between the rootballs. (We grow them on the nursery at 110cm centres so there is always comfortably 100cm+ of hedge above ground giving a continuous instant hedge in situ)

100 litre trough hedges and 1 metre Hedge elements – prepare a trench at least 35cm deep and 50cm wide to allow for backfilling making sure the base and sides of the trench have been loosened with a fork. The trough itself is approx. 35cm deep and 40cm wide. Plant these with the the rootballs just touching to give a continuous instant hedge with each section giving 100cm coverage.

Individual root ball hedge elements – these are individual plants (instead of several plants in a trough) that have been trimmed into a block shape on all sides with the intention that they are planted tight together to from an instant hedge. We recommend that you still take out a continuous trench (instead of individual holes) as this will make spacing them correctly far less frustrating! These plants are usually 50cmx50cm or 60cmx60cm wide and deep and come in various heights. Care is needed to space them as accurately as you can at either 50 or 60cm centres respectively to get the required coverage before fully backfilling your trench. The trench should be 50cm wide and 50cm deep to allow for plenty of friable backfilling soil which should be well firmed after planting with the heel of your foot to remove air pockets and prevent strong winds from dislodging the new hedge. The hessian net material that retains the immediate soil and root system (and the wire net if present) should be left intact as both will rot. As with all new hedges these plants should be thoroughly watered prior to and after planting. (as a guide in dry conditions each plant is likely to need at least 2 x 2 gallon/10 litre buckets after planting and then twice a week until well established)

Where the instant hedging is supplied in a plastic or black fabric trough, this must be removed before planting sitting the hedge in the trench backfilling with well prepared soil firming gently but firmly to remove air pockets while holding the top of the plants to keep them straight. When planted the compost should be just covered. Give the new hedge a really good soak after planting and continue with this twice a week until well established. Investing in one of our soaker hose kits may be a good option with all instant hedging products as they are likely to need watering right through the first season.

Where instant hedging is supplied in cardboard troughs (we are moving over to this system where possible on environmental grounds) – you can simply plant the whole thing including the cardboard setting them at 1 metre centres (some trough sizes will have a small gap in between the root balls but the above ground growth will always meet together) making sure to plant with the compost level and cardboard just covered with soil. Give the new hedge an extra good soak making sure the cardboard is saturated too (it will rot away in as little as a month provided it is wetted) and keep watering thoroughly twice a week until the new hedge is well established. (The cardboard can be removed before planting if you prefer)

Using rootgrow

If you are using rootgrow when planting (it is highly recommended to get your new instant hedge established quickly by kick starting new root development) it should be added directly to the base of the trench just before installing the plants (when you are satisfied your trench is the correct depth) so that the roots are in direct contact with it. If you are planting our cardboard troughs the cardboard should sit directly on the rootgrow, new roots will quickly emerge from the trough hedge through the cardboard if it is well wetted after planting and will then quickly get the full benefit of the mycorrhizal fungi that you have applied.

How to Plant Instant Hedging

Instant hedging plants are always delivered on a pallet because of their size; they can be left on the pallet for a day or two, making sure they are kept well-watered. In the meantime, dig the space where you wish to plant the hedges into a trench, using the type of instant hedging you have ordered to estimate the length and depth the trench should be:

• For 20-litre trough hedges, prepare a trench at least 20cm deep and 25cm wide to allow for backfilling. The trough itself is approximately 17cm wide and 17cm deep. 
• For 40-litre trough hedges, prepare a trench at least 25cm deep and 30cm wide to allow for backfilling. The trough itself is approximately 20cm wide and 20cm deep. 
• For 75-litre trough hedges, prepare a trench at least 35cm deep and 40cm wide to allow for backfilling. The trough itself is approximately 30cm wide and 35cm deep. When planting this size of trough be sure to set them at 1 metre centres – the trough is about 94cm long, so there should be a 6cm gap in between the rootballs.
• For 100-litre trough hedges and 1-metre trough hedges, prepare a trench at least 35cm deep and 50cm wide to allow for backfilling. The trough itself is approximately 35cm deep and 40cm wide.
• Individual root ball Hedge Elements are a little different – these are individual plants (instead of several plants in a trough) that have been trimmed into block shapes so they form an instant hedge when planted tightly together. We still recommend creating a trench instead of individual holes, as this makes it far less frustrating to figure out the spacing! The trench should be 50cm wide and 50cm deep, and care is needed to space them as accurately as you can at either 50 or 60cm centres (depending on their size) to get the required coverage before fully backfilling your trench.

If we’ve supplied your instant hedging in a plastic or black fabric trough, this needs to be removed before planting, but if we’ve supplied it in a cardboard trough (which we do wherever possible on environmental grounds) then this can be planted straight into the ground – if you make sure it’s fully covered with soil and saturated with water, it will rot away after about a month.

Make sure the base and sides of the trench have been loosened with a fork, and then plant your instant hedging plants with the rootballs just touching to give a continuous instant hedge.

If you are using Rootgrow when planting (it is highly recommended to get your new instant hedge established quickly by kick-starting new root development) it should be added directly to the base of the trench just before installing the plants (when you are satisfied your trench is the correct depth) so that the roots are in direct contact with it. If you are planting our cardboard troughs the cardboard should sit directly on the Rootgrow, new roots will quickly emerge from the trough hedge through the cardboard if it is well wetted after planting and will then quickly get the full benefit of the mycorrhizal fungi that you have applied.

Soil should be well-firmed after planting with the heel of your foot to remove air pockets and prevent strong winds from dislodging the plants. Give the new hedge a good soak after planting and continue this twice a week until well established – it may be worth investing in one of our soaker hose kits!

Which Type of Instant Hedging Should I Pick?

texture and character to outdoor spaces no matter the size, so we recommend browsing instant hedging types to find the species with the appearance you like best.

Over the years, we’ve enhanced our growing process with the help of our talented and passionate staff, which allowed us to provide the highest quality instant hedging plants in the UK. From Green Beech Hedge plants to Portuguese Laurel Hedging and Privet Hedging, our experts value the quality of our plants.

There are many different instant hedging plant species for you to choose from. Whether you’re interested in Elaeagnus Instant Hedging, with its beautiful yellow flowers in winter and gorgeous red fruit in the summer, or perhaps something a little more traditional and classic like the Common Box Hedge, there are many wonderful species on offer.

Why Choose Hopes Grove Nurseries?

Hopes Grove Nurseries is a leading UK hedgingplant provider with over 30 years of experience. Our dedicated team of experts will lend a hand in choosing the best instant hedging plants for your garden. We provide all of our plants with the best care to ensure that they grow strong and healthy, so that when they arrive at your home they are ready to flourish. We love what we do and we are proud to see our homegrown plants thrive in green spaces all across the country.

We grow all of our instant hedges on our 80-acre site in Kent. With over half a million plants being grown at any given time, we can honestly say we stock the best instant hedging plants, available for delivery directly to your door.Far more than  hedging plant suppliers, we work to bring your vision for your garden to life, helping to build a space that you and your loved ones can enjoy for decades to come. 

Call us today on 01580 765600 to get our expert advice.