Pleached Tree Care Guide - Everything You Need To Know
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Pleached trees are a stunning addition to any garden or landscape – whether you’re after privacy, structure, or a designer’s touch. At Harrod Outdoors, we take pride in growing and training over 25+ different varieties of quality, pot-grown pleached trees delivered directly to your door via our specialist van service.
But once they arrive, what’s next? Here’s everything you need to know to get your pleached trees off to the best possible start – straight from our nursery to your garden.
Jump Right In
What to Expect on Delivery Day
How Your Pleached Trees Are Delivered
At Harrod Outdoors, we don’t use couriers for our pleached trees. Every order is carefully loaded by our nursery team and delivered in one of our own specialist vans.
This hands-on approach means less handling, less stress for your trees, and a smoother journey from our nursery to your garden.
Expert Handling from Start to Finish
Our drivers are trained to check and secure any bamboo frames or branches that may have shifted during transit. Your trees arrive supported, stable, and in excellent condition.
Curbside Unloading with Care
When your order arrives, our driver will unload each tree one at a time at the curbside.
Depending on the space and conditions, trees will usually be gently leaned against a wall or fence. If it’s windy or exposed, the driver may lay them down to avoid any risk of damage.
What to Expect on Arrival
We recommend checking your trees as soon as they arrive. Some may have bare branches or lighter foliage—especially in cooler months. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about.
If you ordered a freshly pleached tree or selected a custom frame, the canopy may not fully fill the structure yet. With proper care, it will mature and fill out beautifully over the coming seasons.
How to Care for Your Trees Before Planting
Give Them a Thorough Water
Pleached trees can be heavy and awkward to maneuver due to their pleached frames. If you’re not planting straight away, place them in a sheltered spot where the wind won’t knock them over. Give them a deep and thorough watering immediately after arrival – even in winter. Pot-grown trees can dry out more quickly than those in the ground, so a slow soak is better than a quick splash. Think of it as a welcome drink after a long journey!
Protect Them from Wind and Keep Them Watered
Planting Your Pleached Trees
If you’ve opted for the DIY route instead of using our professional planting service, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Planting pleached trees might seem daunting, but with the right approach, it’s absolutely achievable for homeowners, gardeners, and landscapers alike. Whether you’re planting a single tree or creating a full pleached screen, this guide will walk you through the entire process to ensure your trees establish quickly and thrive for years to come.
Pleached trees can be planted at any time of year, as long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged. With careful preparation, good alignment, and proper aftercare, you’ll enjoy a structured, elegant feature that enhances privacy, shade, and style in your garden.
1. Set Out Your Trees
Start by positioning your pleached trees upright in their pots where you plan to plant them. If the area is exposed or the trees are prone to falling over, lay them down carefully on the ground to prevent wind damage.
Space the trees out evenly to match your desired screening effect—this gives you a clear visual guide for planting and helps ensure the final result looks tidy and uniform. A tape measure, string line, or long bamboo cane can help maintain consistency along the row.
2. Dig the Planting Holes
Once the trees are lined up, dig a hole for each one. The hole should be no deeper than the tree’s pot but can be slightly wider—this allows the roots to spread out more easily while keeping the tree at the correct planting depth.
Avoid planting too deep, as this can lead to water pooling around the trunk and increase the risk of root rot.
3. Place and Backfill
Place each tree in its hole at the same depth it was growing in the pot. Use the soil you dug out to backfill around the rootball, and mix in some quality compost to improve soil structure and nutrient content.
As you backfill, gently press down the soil by hand or foot to remove air pockets and secure the tree in place, but don’t compact it too hard.
4. Stake for Stability
Pleached trees must be staked securely to protect against wind rock, especially in the first 12–18 months while roots are establishing.
Use two tree stakes per tree, positioned on either side of the trunk at roughly 20–30cm from the base. Drive the stakes into the ground before tying to avoid disturbing the rootball later.
Secure the tree with soft, adjustable tree ties or rubber straps, allowing a small amount of movement to help strengthen the trunk.
5. Align and Adjust
Once the trees are planted and staked, stand back and check that the pleached frames form a consistent, level line across the row. This is your opportunity to adjust the height and angle of each tree before final watering.
To help maintain alignment, run a long bamboo cane or treated timber batten along the backs of the frames and zip-tie each one to it. This helps keep everything straight and uniform as the trees grow in.
6. Final Steps
Water each tree thoroughly with a deep soak—this helps settle the soil and kickstarts root establishment. Continue watering regularly, particularly in the first year, and especially during dry spells. Consider installing a soaker hose for ease and efficiency.
Apply mulch around the base of each tree to retain moisture and suppress weeds, but keep it away from the trunk itself to prevent rot.
Pruning and Maintenance
Pruning Schedule
Pleached trees should be pruned twice a year to maintain their shape and encourage dense, even growth.
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Early Spring (March–April): Light structural pruning to tidy up any wayward branches and promote new growth as the season starts.
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Mid to Late Summer (July–August): This is the time for a fuller prune to control vigorous summer growth. Trim back any new shoots that extend beyond the frame to keep each tree looking tidy and well-defined. If you’re aiming for a formal, structured look where each tree maintains its own shape, focus on keeping the edges neat and contained. Alternatively, if you want the trees to knit together into a seamless screen, lightly trim the tops to encourage lateral growth and help the canopies merge naturally over time.
If you’re working with evergreen varieties like Photinia, Laurel, or Privet, you may only need one lighter prune in summer, while deciduous varieties like Hornbeam or Lime can benefit from a slightly more rigorous trim.
Always use clean, sharp secateurs or hedge shears, and aim to cut just above a leaf node for a natural look.
Adjusting Ties and Bamboo Clip Supports
Each branch of your pleached tree is typically secured to the frame with soft ties or clip-on supports. Over time, these need to be checked and adjusted to avoid:
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Cutting into the bark as branches thicken
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Slipping out of place and allowing uneven growth
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Restricting the natural shaping of the canopy
We recommend inspecting your tree ties every 6 to 12 months, ideally during spring pruning. Loosen or re-tie any that feel tight or misaligned. If using reusable rubber or plastic clips, they can often be repositioned to better support growing branches without causing damage.
Tip: Always leave a small amount of room for the branch to move slightly—tight ties can cause girdling and long-term damage.
When to Remove the Bamboo Frame
Many pleached trees arrive with a temporary bamboo training frame to support the horizontal growth during their early years. These are intended to be functional during establishment and should not be considered a permanent feature.
Here’s how to manage the frame:
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Year 2–3: Inspect whether the branches have matured enough to hold their shape without full support.
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If the structure is stable, you can remove the horizontal bamboo canes gradually, beginning with the central ones. Leave the outer frame if more support is still needed.
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If in doubt, reinforce the tree temporarily with a single strong support bar behind the line of trees to hold everything level while reducing visual clutter.
Cut away any zip ties, twine, or fixings carefully to avoid damaging the bark. If growth is still soft or gaps are forming in the canopy, leave the frame in place until next season.
Ongoing Tree Health & Appearance
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Watering: Continue to water during dry periods, especially during the first two years or in prolonged heat.
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Feeding: Apply a slow-release fertiliser in early spring to support lush, healthy growth.
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Mulching: Top up mulch annually to retain moisture and improve soil quality.
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Pest/Disease Check: Look out for aphids, mildew, or scale insects. Most issues are minor and treatable, especially with early intervention.
Enjoy the Privacy You’ve Planted – and Celebrate It
Pleached trees have become a staple in gardens across the UK—and it’s easy to see why. In a world where our outdoor spaces are often overlooked by neighbours or passersby, pleached trees offer not just privacy, but structure, elegance, and a true sense of sanctuary.
Our gardens are extensions of our homes. They deserve to feel just as peaceful, personal, and protected as the spaces inside. That’s why so many of our customers—and our team too—see pleached trees as a long-term investment in comfort, beauty, and quality of life.
Caring for your trees doesn’t have to be complicated. Even if gardening isn’t your passion, setting up a few calendar reminders throughout the first couple of years can make all the difference in helping your trees establish and thrive.
And when the hard work is done—why not celebrate it? Plan a garden get-together, fire up the BBQ, and enjoy the space you’ve nurtured. After all, privacy is just the beginning—pleached trees help create outdoor spaces that are truly worth enjoying.
