Native Hedging Plants

Native Hedge Plants

Mixed native hedging is the cheapest category of hedge plant available but don’t let that put you off - it is one of the main building blocks of our countryside landscape. That is why is deserves a section all to itself in our wide selection of hedging plants for sale.

There are more species of native hedging in the UK than one might expect. There are hedgerows today that were planted before the Battle of Hastings but the plants in them are not the originals; instead, they are descendants of species planted over 1000 years ago. So the age of a mixed hedge can be hard to determine and the best way to guess it is to look at the number of species it contains. Nature has a wonderful way of creating diversity. Seeds are borne on the wind, in bird droppings or on animals' feet. Where they come to rest in an existing hedge, they can grow relatively undisturbed. So the more variety in a hedge, the older it is.

Choosing, Planting and Caring for a Native Hedge

Choosing Native Hedging

The first consideration is whether you want a mixed hedge or one with a single variety such as hawthorn or blackthorn. Up to you - the latter costs less, the former has more variety. If you want the hedge to be stockproof then make sure it includes blackthorn if you are worried about sheep. Buy native hedge plants bare-rooted, which is far cheaper than potted. They are also much easier to plant.

Planting a Mixed Native Hedge

Follow the instructions in our video on how to plant a country hedge. Remember to mix the plants randomly and then to plant them without paying attention to what is going next to what. The attraction of a native hedge is that it is… well… random. That is how nature works. You will absolutely need spirals and canes if you have rabbits nearby and we always recommend using Rootgrow. Unless you need a stock-proof hedge, plant at 3 plants per metre in a single row. If you have livestock, then mixed hedging should be planted at 5 plants per metre in a double row.

Water very well indeed after planting and make sure the soil does not dry out completely in the first spring and early summer. For the same reason, keep the ground under your new hedge clear of weeds until the plants cast enough shade to prevent weed growth themselves. Use an organic mulch after planting or plant through Mypex as shown in the film.

Native Hedge Aftercare

Most important is to make sure your hedge is watered and weed free until it is established. You will also need to reduce the height of your hedge plants by 50% on the day of planting. Then, the following winter, reduce all new growth by 50%. When your plants come into growth the following spring, each one should have 9-15 branches and you will have completed the creation of the short, powerful and bushy plants that are the foundation of a thick hedge. There is no other way to get native hedging to be bushy from the base upwards. After that, clip the sides when they are shaggy and the top as you see fit - with each trim you encourage new buds into growth making your hedge bushier.

For more detailed notes, apart from watching the videos mentioned above, have a look at our comprehensive hedging advice.