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Bare root hedge


Taff

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Just about to plant some bare root blackthorn, needing some advice please. I’ve installed a mesh fence on our boundary, it’s quite damp at this part of the garden. The bare root plants I have are 45-60 cms in height so just thin little things. If I was to dig a trench it would just be full of water, so wondering if I could just soak them then get a metal spike to create a hole, place them in then firm them in by foot.

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Three years ago this Xmas eve, I planted a mixed native hedge of bare rooted whips, including blackthorn, hawthorn,hornbean (which like wet gound) hazel and others.

The ground is cheshire pasture with clay at 14inches below topsoil, It was a 75 meter run and I just used a spade and waggled it to open the ground and placed the whips in a firmed with my heel. I lost 2 plants.

I dont think anything too technical is required,

Attached is a picture of them in May 18

 

Native Hedge.jpg

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I would second the spade technique but would also add that it is so very important to have some sort of weed management in place. Young trees grow much faster if they are not competing with grass and other vegetation, especially in the first few years. I have planted thousands of bare root trees ranging from eucalyptus to hazel and everything in between and the ones that have weed suppression do the best by far. There are many ways to do this from covering the ground with fabric to the use of chemicals, you just need to use the one that is best for your situation. 

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I did 60m of natural hedge using whips. You just use a spade to make an L shape cut and lift the corner. Stick the whip in, let the sod back down and press it down with foot. Think i did something like 300 whips over two days. Two rows staggered. Can still cut it by hand.

 

I put mine in about 1m away from a post and rail fence so I can get between the fence and hedge to cut the back side.

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9 hours ago, Taff said:

I would get the strimmer out and get it right down to the ground!

This will only work for a very short time, before you know it the trees will be covered in grass. As someone said if there are rabbits or dear or lots of voles then you also need deal with this in advance. I have seen so many plantings fail due to weeds and vermin. Just saying....

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We put in a single row of mixed blackthorn and hawthorn bare rooted 60cm tall in winter 2015/16. They can just about be seen behind the rabbit fence in the first picture. Five years later, second picture, they have grown a bit. They are kept at 1m high as they are on the road edge.

 

IMG_20151201_111010.thumb.jpg.c6455eba607be42cef3615d5ac72f2c7.jpg

 

DSC_7518.thumb.jpg.9fe5e122f81015a2995cc90758155e85.jpg

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