What to prepare before your hedge plants arrive

Have the planting plan ready

Getting the ground, access and watering sorted before delivery makes planting day easier. It also gives you time to resolve awkward corners or wet patches while you can still adjust the species, size or quantity.

Write down each run length, the chosen plant, agreed spacing and number required. Leave out gates and other openings, and note any stretches with different soil or light. Keep this plan with the order confirmation so you can check the delivery and set out the plants without measuring everything again.

Check the planting line on the ground

Mark the intended stem line and think about the finished width. Allow space to maintain the back of a boundary hedge as well as the front. Look at corners, paths and entrances where future growth could narrow access or obscure a view.

Use a tape measure rather than a step count, and measure curves along the actual route. Check whether the planting area runs beside an established hedge or tree, where roots may compete for moisture. If the site changes partway along, one spacing or one species may not be right for the whole project.

Calculate your plant quantity

Prepare the ground in advance

Clear grass and weeds from the planting strip, remove rubble and break up compacted soil. Preparing a continuous area gives roots somewhere to spread. Filling a small hole with compost will not deal with hard ground around it.

Check drainage after rain. If water collects where you plan to plant, find out why before digging further or ordering. When delivery day brings frozen or waterlogged ground, keep the plants protected and wait for workable conditions.

Tools, water and mulch

For many small hedging jobs you will need a tape measure, string line, spade, fork, suitable gloves and watering equipment. A wheelbarrow makes moving pots easier without pulling on stems. Larger containers and rootballs need enough people or suitable equipment to move them safely.

Choose a mulch and estimate the area to cover before planting day. Keep it separate from the backfill soil: it belongs on the surface, clear of the stems. If you plan to use a specialist planting product, check its instructions and suitability for the plants you have ordered.

• Check the hose reaches the far end of the planting run.
• Have a sheltered, level holding area ready for plants awaiting planting.
• Keep the order confirmation and planting plan available.
• Allow enough working room to handle pots without damaging foliage.

Check the delivery and garden access

For larger stock, measure gates, narrow passages and sharp turns between the delivery point and the planting area. Include steps and changes of level. Check the delivery information and discuss restricted access before ordering.

Clear the route and arrange any help you will need to move the plants. Protect foliage from narrow walls and corners, and carry containers or rootballs from underneath. The stem is not a carrying handle.

Check delivery information

Check and care for the plants on arrival

Unpack promptly, check the plant names and quantities, and inspect the containers or roots. Water potted plants as needed. Keep them upright and protected from strong drying winds while they wait. Bare root stock needs its roots kept moist and covered, with planting arranged promptly.

If the weather stops planting, adjust the holding arrangements rather than leaving plants in closed packaging. A shaded corner is not a guarantee that pots will stay wet. Check their compost regularly and contact us promptly if the plants or order need attention.

Contact Plants for Garden

Arrange care after planting day

Make time for watering, weeding and checking the hedge during its first weeks. If you will be away, ask someone to check soil moisture around the roots and water when needed. A sprinkler on a fixed timer may miss a dry rootball or keep already wet ground saturated.

Record the planting date and take a few photographs of the row. These give you something to compare with later growth. Our aftercare guide covers the moisture checks, weed control and early training that help a new hedge establish.

Follow the planting steps · Use the aftercare checklist