Rootballed Hedging Plants
Rootballed Hedging Plants are grown outside on our fields at our Nursery. The hedging plants are given sufficient space to produce bushier plants when grown outside over several years. Root Ball Hedging plants are lifted during their dormant period in the cooler months from Autumn through to early Spring (weather dependent) minimising transplant shock.
The hedging plants are lifted with special machinery to ensure minimal damage to the plants and cutting of the roots. Where possible plants are lifted direct to order to minimise the time they are out of the ground. The plants root balls are wrapped in hessian fabric to keep the root ball intact from lifting until planting. The hessian is retained on the root ball at planting and biodegrades over time.
The intact root ball ensures that the plants have a head start in establishing themselves, allowing for quicker growth and establishment. This method is particularly advantageous for larger-scale projects, as it offers a more cost-effective option compared to individually potted plants.
When planting rootballed hedges, proper preparation of the planting area is essential. The intact root system should be placed at the appropriate depth, and the soil should be well-amended and compacted around the root ball to ensure good contact. Adequate watering and care during the establishment phase are crucial to ensure the success of the hedge.
Overall, rootballed hedging provides a practical and efficient way to create attractive and functional hedges. It streamlines the planting process, promotes healthy growth, and contributes to the overall beauty and functionality of outdoor spaces through the creation of well-defined, thriving hedges.
About our Rootballed hedging.
Rootballed hedging plants are mature plants lifted from the ground with a ball of soil surrounding their roots. The rootball is usually wrapped in biodegradable material to help protect the roots during handling, transport and planting.
Why Plant Rootballed as a Hedge?
Rootballed plants are often larger and more established than young bare-root plants, so they can create an attractive hedge more quickly. Their established root systems may also help them settle well after planting, provided they are handled carefully and planted in suitable conditions.
Are Rootballed an Evergreen Hedging Plants?
No, rootballed plants are not always evergreens, though the vast majority of rootballed hedging plants you find do happen to be evergreens.
How fast does Rootballed hedging grow?
Rootballed hedging typically grows between 10cm and 90cm (4 to 35 inches) per year, depending heavily on the species, soil quality, and aftercare. Leylandii: Up to 90cm+ per year
How Tall Will Rootballed Hedging Grow (ultimate height by species)?
Leylandii: Supplied up to large sizes; ultimate height can exceed 10–15+ metres
Cherry Laurel (Common Laurel): ultimate height reaches 4 to 8 metres
Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica): ultimate height reaches roughly 5 to 12 metres if left as a tree or trimmed lower as a hedge.
English Yew (Taxus baccata): ultimate height reaches 4 to 10+ metres.
How many Rootballed Hedge plants per metre?
We would recommend as a general rule, you should plant 1 to 3 rootballed hedge plants per metre.
How do I plant Rootballed hedging?
We give advice on how to plant a hedge here.
When to trim a Rootballed hedge?
The trimming requirements vary by species and plant size. We would advise you have a read of our guide.
Can you hard prune a Rootballed hedge?
Yes, you can hard prune a rootballed hedge, but you should wait until the plant has fully established its root system before cutting it back severely. We have a guide.
How to trim or cut a Rootballed hedge?
To trim or cut a rootballed hedge, you need to focus on shaping the top and sides of the plants rather than doing anything to the rootball itself, which stays underground. The best technique is to trim the hedge into a tapered “A” shape (wider at the bottom, narrower at the top) so that sunlight can reach the lower branches and keep the hedge full.
Feeding a Rootballed hedge?
The primary rule of thumb for newly lifted field-grown rootballs is to focus on root development over foliage growth during their first season. See our guide here.
What type of soil and conditions will a Rootballed hedge grow in?
Rootballed hedging plants are grown in open fields and traditionally cultivated in relatively heavy soil so that the roots hold the earth together in a firm ball. More details here.
Are Rootballed hedges easy to maintain?
Yes, rootballed hedges are generally very easy to maintain once they are properly established, but they do require a bit of attentive initial care immediately after purchase and during their first growing season.
Do you grow Instant Rootballed Hedges?
We do grow Instant Rootballed hedges here on the nursery.
What Rootballed hedging plants do you have for sale?
We have the following rootballed hedging plants available, Leylandii, Cherry Laurel, Portuguese Laurel and English Yew.
Do you grow your own Rootballed hedging Plants?
We grow all the rootballed hedging here at the nursery.
Are Rootballed hedging plants poisonous?
Whether a rootballed hedging plant is poisonous depends entirely on the specific species of the plant, not the fact that it is supplied in a rootball. A “rootball” is simply a method of harvesting and packaging a plant (with soil wrapped around the roots in hessian and wire), rather than a type of plant itself. Please click this link.
Growing Advice
Further Info
Rootballed plants:
Rootballed Hedging plants are available in bigger sizes from October through to April (weather dependent). These plants are grown in bigger sizes going up to 3 metres in height.
The plants are lifted during their dormant period. This reduces the amount of stress imposed on the plants and increases the chances of successful re-establishment.
Plants are lifted to order to minimise the time they are stored out of the ground before replanting.
Although rootballed plants may seem expensive, many of these plants will be between 5+ years old and will have been root pruned and trimmed many times before they are lifted.
Rootballed Hedging plants tend to be bushier than pot grown plants as they have been out in the field and more exposed to the elements. They are lifted from the field using specialist machinery and the soil rootball is hessian wrapped to protect it.