In-ground instant hedge installation guide

Living Walls™ are fully formed instant hedges, supplied in one-metre lengths and installed together to create a continuous hedge from day one.

This guide covers installing Living Walls™ directly into the ground, where roots can grow freely.

Please make sure whoever is installing your Living Walls™ hedge reads this guide before installation begins and follows the instructions throughout. You may also like to view our installation video.

After installation, follow our Care & Maintenance guide for ongoing watering, feeding, trimming and general care.

For installation in containers, raised planters, planter boxes, some retaining walls and other restricted-root planting spaces, see our Container and Planter Box Installation Guide.

Diagram:  Hedge bag sizes – 25L, 70L and 100L

Before You Start

Handling Guidelines

• Safe lifting: Use both handles to lift hedge bags. Avoid pulling or dragging them, as this can tear the bags. Wear gloves, as the fibreglass rods can be rough on skin.
• Weight considerations:
  • 100L hedge bags can weigh over 100 kg when wet and require two to four capable people to carry or mechanical assistance to move around the site.
  • 70L hedge bags, at around 65 kg each, require two capable people to carry.  
  • 25L hedge bags, at 25 kg, can generally be carried by one capable person.
  • View hedge bag specifications here

Site prep tips

• Plan ahead: If practical, prepare your trench before your hedge arrives. This gives you time to identify underground obstacles, check drainage and confirm the required hedge length. For new builds, consider digging trenches while machinery is still on site.
• Extra soil: If you’ve removed large plants or roots and don’t have enough soil to backfill, bring in good-quality topsoil.
• Check drainage: Living Walls™ need free-draining soil. Check drainage at several points along the trench, especially at the lowest points. Fill the trench with water and check it again after a couple of hours. If water remains, improve the drainage first and follow the WET HEAVY SOIL installation detail below.
• Root control: For vigorous-rooted varieties such as Ficus tuffi, consider installing a 600–900 mm deep root barrier where roots need to be kept away from pipes, paths or other structures. Install the barrier before placing the hedge.

Preparing Your Trench

• Dig a trench to the recommended depth* and at least as wide as your hedge’s rootball. Check Hedge Specifications for minimum dimensions.
• Set aside enough soil for backfilling. Loosen any compacted soil at the bottom and sides of the trench with a spade to help roots grow into the surrounding soil.
• Don't add extras such as gravel, compost, manure, water crystals or fertiliser to the trench. Gravel can worsen drainage problems. Compost and manure break down over time, which can cause the hedge to sink, and may be too rich for new roots. Fertiliser can damage roots at this stage, so apply it on top later.

 * INSTALLATION DEPTH ADJUSTMENTS

• Well-drained soil: Set the top of the rootball level with the surrounding ground.
• Heavy clay soil, wet sites or high water tables: Raise the rootball about one-third above ground level. Cover the exposed sides of the rootball with soil, sloping it down to the surrounding ground. Keep soil away from the plant trunks. See the WET HEAVY SOIL diagram.
• Light sandy soil or when installing your hedge across a steep site: Dig a slightly deeper trench and set the rootball just below ground level. Keep soil away from the plant trunks. See the DRY SANDY SOIL diagram.

Diagram: Guide to installation depth adjustments for heavy and light soils

Installing Your Hedge

Wear gardening gloves when handling hedge bags, as the fibreglass rods can be rough. Place the hedges beside the trench with the logos facing the same way. If the bags are numbered, line them up from left to right in order.

• Remove the bag: Cut open the square ends of each bag with a Stanley knife or similar cutting tool. Gently lift the hedge into the trench, using the bag as a sling if helpful. Do not kick or roughly handle the rootball.
• Space the hedges: Each hedge rootball is approximately 900 mm long, while the foliage extends to about 1 metre. Set the rootballs about 100 mm (10 cm) apart, allowing one hedge length per linear metre of finished hedge. The bag handle is 1 metre long and can be used as a reference.
  The foliage should meet. The rootballs should not. See the Rootball Spacing Diagram below.
• Fit your space: If your trench is not an exact number of metres, adjust the gaps between rootballs slightly as needed to keep the hedge evenly spaced and fit the available length.
• Cut only if necessary: If you need a shorter hedge length, for example to fill a half-metre gap, saw through the rootball between plants using a toothed tool. Keep as much of the rootball intact as possible. Do not use a spade.

Diagram: Rootballs spaced approximately 100 mm (10 cm) apart, foliage touching, not rootballs.

Backfilling and Watering

Once your hedges are upright and evenly spaced, start backfilling:

• Fill the trench halfway with the soil you set aside, packing it gently but firmly around and between the rootballs. Do not over-compact it.
• Water lightly to settle the soil.
• Finish backfilling, then water thoroughly. For this initial watering, allow approximately 10–20 litres per metre, depending on hedge size. See our Watering Guide for ongoing watering requirements.

Post-Installation

• Trimming: Give your hedge a light trim after installation if needed to even up the shape. See our Trimming Guide for ongoing care.
• Staking:  In windy sites, add temporary support if needed. Place stakes, such as Waratahs, on the sheltered side of the hedge and run horizontal wire between them to support the hedge. Reducing the hedge height slightly can also reduce wind strain. See Do I need to stake my Living Walls™ hedge? for more information.
• Irrigation: We recommend and supply flow-regulated landscape drip line for in-ground Living Walls™ hedges. Your hedge will need regular, deep watering while it establishes. See Water for ongoing watering guidelines.
• Feeding: In spring and summer, apply a complete NPK-based slow-release fertiliser over the rootball area. Do not mix fertiliser into the trench at installation. See Feeding and Mulching for ongoing feeding guidance.
• Mulching: Apply mulch around the hedge to help retain moisture and suppress weeds. Keep mulch away from plant trunks to reduce the risk of rot, and do not use fresh grass clippings. Refresh the mulch as needed, particularly after feeding in spring. See Feeding and Mulching for guidance.

Care and Maintenance

 For ongoing care, read and follow our Care & Maintenance guide.