Time to plant hedges: when to plant them

When you can put a hedge in the garden is influenced by various factors. First you should define your project in order to then find the ideal date.

Spring and autumn planting

Basically, the ideal time to plant hedges is in autumn. At this time of year, longer periods of heat and drought are no longer to be expected, so that the trees do not dry out and can invest their energy in root growth. These grow well until winter. Spring planting is necessary when the shrubs cannot be exposed in autumn due to their sensitivity to frost. The type of plant cultivation within the nursery also influences the planting time, but your individual planting project also plays a role:

• Construction projects define the time of planting
• You can only plant hedges after successful soil preparation
• Setting individual hedge elements also possible on frozen ground
• Large-scale plantings can be carried out more easily during frost-free times
• Spring planting makes more sense for faster growing privacy
• Planting isolated decorative hedges is not in a hurry

Hedges with root balls

The so-called ball plants are cleared in autumn and can continue into winter. Such hedge plants are sold with a ball of earth, so that the plants have already developed a well-developed root system with numerous fine roots. Planting is then possible once the main growth phase is complete:

• Planting usually from September
• usually possible until May
• with cool and constant temperatures also in June or July

Tip: Thuja, Yew trees or cherry laurel are evergreen hedge plants. These should ideally be planted out with root balls between September and October. In this way, the roots can optimally expand before the start of winter.

Bushes in the container

Container plants are grown in a plastic pot. They do not have to be gouged out before being sold and therefore do not lose any roots. They benefit from 100 percent of their root mass all year round, which leads to an advantage when growing. Therefore you have a free choice regarding the planting time:

• can be planted all year round
• Exceptions are periods of frost during winter
• Do not plant evergreen shrubs in winter because of continuous evaporation
• ideal planting time for these plants between September and November

Bare-root hedges

Deciduous shrubs are cleared in spring or autumn. For logistical reasons, these specimens come out of the ground without soil, so their roots are bare. This method is a major disadvantage for the plant, because the lack of soil means that there is no moisture buffer. It dries out very quickly and suffers damage. This affects the timing of planting:

• only expose in cooler seasons
• Plant immediately after purchase and do not store temporarily
• ideal planting time extends through autumn
• Preferably plant frost-sensitive species in spring