Last Chance this Spring to Plant Our Rootballed Hedging Plants

During winter and early spring, buying rootballed Laurel or Portuguese Laurel hedging plants can be a good option when creating an evergreen hedge for screening and privacy.

What are rootballed hedging plants?

These plants are grown in a field rather than in pots or other containers.  They are planted very small in a field and left to grow for a few years, being trimmed regularly to make them bushy.  When they are ready for sale, they are carefully dug (or ‘lifted’) with a ball of soil intact around their roots. This rootball is wrapped in hessian to protect it during transport and planting, allowing the plant to establish quickly once in its new location.

When can you plant rootballed hedging plants?

You can plant rootballed hedging plants when they are dormant (not growing) over the winter and early spring – generally between November and early April. Laurel and Portuguese Laurel are particularly well suited to being rootballed as they stay dormant for much longer in the spring than other hedging plants. Griselinia and Photinia start growing very early in the spring so are not as suitable for rootballing.  As a result of this, we grow them in pots or containers instead.

What are the advantages of rootballed hedging plants?

One of the biggest advantages of rootballed hedging plants is the wider selection of sizes and species compared to pot-grown alternatives. They are generally available in greater numbers as well as they are grown on a field-scale.

What are the disadvantages of rootballed hedging plants?

Rootballed hedging plants can only be planted when the plants are dormant from November until early April.

Additionally, they need to be planted within a few days of delivery as their roots are exposed to the drying winds and sunshine, unlike pot-grown plants that can be kept for longer in their pots as long as they are watered when necessary and kept standing up. Rootballed plants can be “heeled in” to the soil in batches to keep the rootballs from drying out over the winter but need to be planted in their final positions before mid April.

Plant Rootballed Hedging Plants Now!

With spring underway, there is only a short window – just over a couple of weeks – left to place orders. We have just had a new batch of rootballed Laurel Hedging Plants and Portugal Laurel Hedging Plants dug that are now ready for shipping. We ship our premium hedging all over the UK using specialist couriers to ensure your plants arrive fresh and ready to grow.  Alternatively, we currently have a good selection of rootballed laurel hedging available at our retail site near Taunton in Somerset at Greenshutters Nurseries & Garden Centre.  We are open 7 days a week for viewing and these can be collected or we can arrange delivery.

If you miss the rootball season, don’t worry, we will have pot-grown hedging plants available all year round.