Planting a hedge is a fantastic way to enhance your garden’s aesthetic appeal, provide privacy, define borders, screen line of sight and sounds, or create a windbreak in an urban landscape. Whether you’re aiming for amenity, topiary, border definition, or screening, this guide will walk you through the essential steps to successfully plant a hedge in New Zealand.

Planting a hedge isn’t hard, once you know what you’re doing. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/planting-thuja-occidentalis-tree-life-hedge-2298522387

Planning and Preparation

Identify Your Purpose

Before you start, determine the primary purpose of your hedge. Are you looking for an ornamental feature, a well-maintained topiary, a living fenceline, a low-growing border, or a functional screen to block out noise, wind, or unsightly views?

Select the Site

Choosing the right location is crucial. Identify where you want to plant the hedge—along a fenceline, in front of your house, or beside a footpath. Make sure the site receives adequate sunlight and has enough space for the hedge to grow to its full potential. If the conditions between plants differ, such as sunlight or water amounts, the hedge will grow at different rates and become lop-sided. Regular pruning can only do so much to hide this fact.

Prepare the Soil

Soil is a complex beast. Most plants like a slightly acidic to neutral pH of about 6.0 to 7.0, and a sandy loam is usually ideal. However, these conditions aren’t always easy to achieve and many of us are working with compacted clay or hydrophobic sandy soils.

Whether your soil is free-draining or heavy, incorporating organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure can significantly improve its structure and fertility. Beyond that, clay breakers can rapidly improve heavy and compacted soils, while soil wetters can rapidly improve hydrophobicity and water crystals and kaolin clay can improve hydrophobicity on a longer time frame.

If your soil is already full of worms and beneficial fungus, tilling it may be counterproductive. However, if your soil is lacking in health, tilling it and amending with the recommended amounts of the above mentioned products can drastically improve growing conditions.

This heavy clay could do with a lot of organic matter to be dug into it. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/worker-digs-soil-shovel-colorfull-garden-1296357160

Selecting Plants

Research Suitable Species and Cultivars

Select species and cultivated varieties that thrive in the climate and micro climates of your New Zealand garden. Popular choices include Pittosporum, Griselinia, Corokia, Buxus, Viburnum, Westringia and Callistemon. Always read plant labels and pay attention to the unique growth habits and tolerances of different cultivars within the same species, as they can vary widely depending on the quality of the breed.

Understand Growth Habits

Choose plants that align with your intended use and maintenance capacity. For instance, fast-growing species are excellent for quick screening but will require more frequent pruning. Meanwhile, slow-growing plants may take longer to achieve their mature size but they may only need pruning every couple of years to maintain their shape.

Purchase Healthy Plants

Obtain healthy, disease-free plants from reputable nurseries. Healthy starter plants are crucial for establishing a uniform, robust hedge.

Planting Process

Mark Out the Site

Use a string line or garden hose to mark the exact position of your hedge. This ensures a straight and even planting line.

Determine Spacing

Spacing depends on the mature width and growth habit of each specific cultivar. Proper spacing allows for healthy growth and reduces competition for resources. Check your plant labels for the recommended spacing, then divide the proposed hedge length by the recommended spacing – now you have both the number of plants you need and how far apart you need to space them.

For example, a 4 metre hedge using plants that should be spaced 1 plant per linear metre would need 4 plants. And you’d plant one every metre. In reality, you might put them slightly closer together to allow for a bit of growing room on either end of the hedgerow.

Some gardeners get hung up too much on perfecting the spacing, but there’s a lot of wiggle room (so to speak). You just want the plants to be close enough that their branches meet and intermingle, without totally overcrowding each other. And you want the spacing between each plant to be even.

Digging Holes

Dig holes twice the width of the root ball and the same depth. Incorporate compost or well-rotted manure into the backfill to enrich the root zone. If the soil conditions are particularly bad, you can till the entire bed or dig a trench.

Planting

Place the plants in the holes at the same depth they were in their pots. Fill in with the enriched soil, gently firming it around the base of each plant. You want roots in the ground, and stems and leaves in the air.

Mulching

Apply a layer of chunky mulch around the base of the plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and improve soil health. Keep mulch a few centimetres away from the stems to prevent rot.

Mulch is the finishing touch around a hedge. Make sure you don’t bury stems or leaves. Naringa™ Westringia hybrid ‘WES01’ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/shrubs-and-ground-covers/naringa-westringia/

Watering

Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil around the roots. Ensure consistent moisture during the establishment phase.

Maintenance

Maintain Mulch

Regularly fluff up the mulch with a rake to freshen its appearance and top it up every few years as it decomposes. This helps maintain soil health and moisture levels.

Watering

Maintain regular watering, especially during dry periods. Urban areas can have microclimates that may dry out soil faster than rural areas. Alternatively, choose drought tolerant varieties.

Avoid over-irrigating your hedge, which is one of the most common ways we kill our plants. Ensure the landscape design has considered drainage.

Fertilising

Feed the hedge with an organic fertiliser in spring and autumn to promote healthy growth. Regular feeding ensures that your hedge remains lush and vibrant.

Pruning and Shaping

Regularly trim the hedge to maintain its shape and encourage bushiness. Faster-growing plants will require more frequent pruning compared to slower-growing ones. Use sharp, clean tools to avoid damaging the plants.

Special Considerations

Urban Constraints

Be mindful of underground utilities, building foundations, and property boundaries when planting. Ensuring your hedge does not interfere with these elements is essential for long-term success.

Pest and Disease Management

Monitor for pests and diseases common to hedging plants in New Zealand. Treat issues promptly with appropriate methods to keep your hedge healthy. Opt for an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach.

Environmental Impact

Choose non-invasive species to support local biodiversity and minimise environmental impact. This approach helps maintain ecological balance and promotes a sustainable gardening practice.

Conclusion

Planting a hedge requires careful planning and consideration, from selecting the right plant to ensuring proper soil preparation and ongoing maintenance. By following this comprehensive guide, you can create a beautiful, functional hedge that meets your needs—whether it’s for amenity, topiary, low hedging, or screening purposes.

Remember to choose plants suited to your specific urban environment, maintain consistent care, and be mindful of environmental impacts. With patience and attention to detail, your hedge will thrive, enhancing your garden and providing lasting benefits.

Happy planting!