Guide for Establishing a Wildlife Bare-Root Hedge

A well-planned wildlife hedge can provide shelter, food, and nesting sites for a variety of species, from birds and mammals to invertebrates and reptiles. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating your own wildlife-friendly hedge.

Essential Steps

Plan Location and Species: Choose a suitable site for your hedge, considering factors such as light, soil, and space. Select a mix of native species that provide berries, nectar, seeds, and year-round structure. [3][5]
Design Layout: Use a staggered double-row or closely spaced single row so plants will knit together into a dense, layered hedge. Include some thorny or evergreen species for cover. [5][3]
Prepare Planting Area: Remove weeds and grass, loosen soil to planting depth, and improve poor soils with organic matter if needed. [5]
Planting: Dig holes twice as wide as the rootball, set plants at the same depth they grew in the nursery, backfill and firm soil gently, and water in thoroughly. [5]
Mulch and Water: Apply a 5–10 cm layer of organic mulch, kept a few centimetres away from stems, and water regularly through the first 1–3 growing seasons until established. [5]
Protect and Guard: Use tree guards, canes, or small fences to protect seedlings from rabbits, deer, or accidental damage while they establish. [5]
Maintenance and Management: In early years, shelter growth by minimal formative pruning. Once established, trim to a slightly wedge shape so light reaches lower branches and maintains fullness from top to bottom. Collect and dispose of trimmings after pruning. [1][5]

Required Materials and Tools

Plants: a mix of native shrubs/woody plants that flower, fruit, and hold structure through seasons, and include some evergreen/thorny species for cover. [3][5]
Soil Amendments: Compost or well-rotted organic matter if soil is poor. [5]
Mulch: Wood chip or bark mulch for moisture retention and weed suppression. [5]
Planting Tools: Spade, trowel, rake. [5]
Protection: Tree guards, canes, netting, or temporary fencing where herbivores are a problem. [5]
Watering: Hose or watering cans, and optionally drip irrigation for establishment. [5]
Pruning Tools: Hand pruners and loppers for formative trimming and later maintenance. [1]

Practical Tips and Wildlife Considerations

Prioritize native species—native plants better support local insects, birds, and mammals than many non-natives. [3][5]
Provide structural diversity: Include species that flower at different times, produce berries/seeds, and retain dead stems or seedheads for insects and nesting. This supports more wildlife across seasons. [5]
Maintain a wedge shape: Prune so the hedge is wider at the base than the top to allow light to lower branches and keep the hedge dense at ground level for shelter and nesting. [1]
Stagger planting times and plant sizes: A mix of ages and sizes speeds the development of layered cover and continuous food supplies. [5]
Leave some dead wood and cuttings in a wildlife pile nearby where appropriate; these provide habitat and insects. If you must remove trimmings from lawn areas, collect them to avoid damage to grass. [1]
Check local regulations on height and boundary planting (some councils have rules about hedge height). [1]
For larger conservation or agricultural hedgerows, consult national hedgerow/hedgerow-planting standards and technical guides for species mixes, spacing, and long-term management. [5][2]

Additional Tips

Planting bare-root plants from November to March can save time and money. [4]
Soak the roots of the hedging plants in water for 30 minutes before planting. [6]
Trim off any damaged or overly long roots to stimulate good growth. [1]
Mulch the ground around the plants with a thick layer of organic matter to help prevent the roots from drying out. [7]
Insert whips at the correct depth, so the dark part of the stem is below soil level. [8]
Remove weeds that develop around the base of your hedge, as these compete with the shrubs for water and nutrients, slowing establishment. [9]
Before planting, enrich the soil with well-rotted manure. [10]
Plant for the base of a wildlife hedge: Common polypody, cowslips, English bluebells, hedge woundwort, sweet violets, foxgloves, daffodils, yarrow, honeysuckle, and ivy. [2]
Themed, ready-made hedge packs are available, such as thornless or edible packs. [11]
Hedges can act as a natural barrier against unwanted visitors, a baffle against noise, and wind. [12]

Whether you're looking to attract wildlife to a small garden or create a larger conservation hedgerow, following these steps will help you create a thriving, wildlife-friendly hedge. If you'd like a species list, spacing plan, and planting schedule tailored to your local wildlife, feel free to share your country/region, the hedge length, and soil/exposure (sun/shade, wet/dry).

Incorporating a wildlife-friendly hedge into your home-and-garden lifestyle can be beneficial for both your garden's aesthetics and the local wildlife population. By designing a home-and-garden project that includes gardening a wildlife-friendly hedge, you can provide shelter, food, and nesting sites for a variety of species, such as birds, mammals, invertebrates, and reptiles.