Care Guide: How to Keep Your Hedge Healthy and Thriving
This guide is designed to help you nurture your hedge, whether you’ve started with young plants or instant-impact screens, focusing on the critical first two years after planting.
Our hedging plants range from 15cm to 600cm, offering flexibility for every need. Here’s what to consider:
Smaller Sizes (15–150cm): Budget-friendly but require denser planting for a full hedge. Ideal for long-term projects or those who enjoy nurturing their garden.
Larger Sizes (150cm+): More expensive but need fewer plants per meter. Perfect for instant privacy or immediate visual impact.
Balance your budget and timeline to choose between gradual growth satisfaction or an instant, established hedge.
The ideal starting size is typically 110–130 cm, balancing cost and quick establishment.
If you’re still not sure where to start, please contact us and we will be happy to help!
Bare Root
Cost-effective | Quick to plant | Low delivery cost
Bare root plants are sold without soil, lifted from fields during dormancy (October to April).
Root Ball
Mature | Affordable | High survival
Field-grown with soil intact, wrapped in burlap and in some occasions metal wire, and typically available from October to April.
Pot Grown
Year-round | Flexible planting | Highest survival
Pot-grown plants are grown in containers, available year-round, and can be planted anytime unless the ground is frozen.
When planting hedging plants, choosing the right density is essential for achieving a beautiful, lush hedge. Here’s a helpful guide tailored to the size and root type of your plants:
Bare root plants are cost-effective and great for dense coverage:
15–150 cm Plants: Space 4–6 plants per meter for even, uniform growth.
150 cm+ Plants: Space 3–5 plants per meter to create a fuller hedge.
You can plant in a single row for a traditional look or use a zig-zag formation for quicker and denser results.
Root ball and pot-grown plants have more developed roots and bushier growth, requiring fewer plants per meter:
15–90 cm Plants: Space 3–6 plants per meter.
90–150 cm Plants: Space 2–4 plants per meter.
150–250 cm Plants: Space 1–3 plants per meter.
250 cm+ Plants: Space 1–2 plants per meter.
At Harrod Outdoors, we take pride in delivering top-quality plants with care and efficiency, directly to your doorstep. Our delivery options are tailored to suit the size and type of your plants, ensuring they arrive in perfect condition, ready to transform your outdoor space. With free specialist delivery available on qualifying orders across most of the UK, and clear delivery timelines of 10-15 working days (up to 30 for larger or custom orders), we make it simple and stress-free.
If you need help selecting the right plants or have specific delivery requirements, our friendly team is here to assist. You can trust us to handle your order with expertise every step of the way. View our Delivery Policy or Contact Us for more information.
Evereste Crab Apple (Malus ‘Evereste’) grows to a height of around 3-5 meters, making it ideal for medium-height, informal hedges that add seasonal interest and soft privacy. Its moderate growth rate and naturally dense structure make it a versatile choice for creating an eye-catching natural screen or boundary in cottage, wildlife, or traditional gardens. You can maintain a more compact form by pruning lightly each winter, allowing you to adapt its height and spread to suit your space. It works well as a standalone specimen, in a mixed hedge, or in informal rows for year-round appeal.
Evereste Crab Apple bursts into bloom from mid to late spring, often in April or early May. The flower buds start as a soft pink before opening into clusters of fragrant white blossoms, creating a spectacular display that contrasts beautifully with the emerging green foliage. This blooming period is particularly valuable for pollinators, as the flowers provide one of the season’s first reliable nectar sources for bees, butterflies, and other insects. The blossoms can last several weeks depending on weather conditions, adding an early-season focal point to the garden.
Yes, Evereste Crab Apple produces small, decorative fruits that ripen in early autumn, transitioning from a glossy orange-red to red. These crab apples are edible, but they have a tart flavor that’s best suited for cooking—try using them in homemade jams, jellies, or cider. The fruits persist well into winter, providing lasting color and a valuable food source for birds during colder months when other foods are scarce. This feature also adds winter interest to the garden, creating a colorful display even after leaves have fallen.
Evereste Crab Apple thrives in well-drained, fertile soils and is adaptable to various types, including loamy, sandy, or clay soils. It performs best in full sun, where it receives at least six hours of direct light daily; this maximizes flower and fruit production while ensuring vibrant autumn foliage. Although it tolerates partial shade, too much shade can reduce blooming and fruiting. Slightly acidic to neutral soil pH is ideal, and regular watering during dry spells—particularly in its first year—will help the plant establish strong roots.
Evereste Crab Apple is highly valued for its ecological benefits. Its spring blossoms attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while its abundant autumn fruits are a food source for birds like thrushes, blackbirds, and small mammals. The dense foliage also creates shelter and nesting spots, making it a practical addition to wildlife-friendly gardens. By planting Evereste Crab Apple, you’re actively supporting biodiversity, offering essential resources and habitat for local wildlife throughout the year.
Evereste Crab Apple is low-maintenance and known for its excellent disease resistance, particularly to apple scab and powdery mildew, which are common among apple varieties. This hardiness makes it easy to care for, even in the UK’s variable climate. It requires only minimal pruning—light shaping in late winter or early spring helps retain its natural form and ensures optimal flowering. Each spring, a layer of mulch around the base helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and provide nutrients. With its combination of beauty, resilience, and minimal care, Evereste Crab Apple is a reliable choice for gardeners seeking a low-fuss yet highly attractive hedge.
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Our plants are sourced from Europe’s top growers, ensuring they are healthy, vibrant, and ready to thrive.
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Explore a wide selection of plants, trees, hedging, and topiary. Can’t find what you need? We’ll help source it for you.
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From detailed care and watering guides to expert advice just a call away, we’re here to assist you every step of the way—before, during, and after your purchase.
At Harrod Outdoors, we want to provide you with the highest-quality plants and excellent service. To ensure efficiency and keep costs manageable, we’ve implemented minimum order quantities for bare root hedging plants and the smallest size of pot-grown plants (15-30cm). This policy helps us handle the sourcing, lifting, and transportation of these products more effectively.
When shopping with us, here are the minimum order quantities for our products:
Product Type | Size | Minimum Order Quantity | Order Increment |
---|---|---|---|
Bare Root Plants | 15-30cm | 100 plants | Step up by 5 |
30-50cm | 50 plants | Step up by 5 | |
50-70cm | 25 plants | Step up by 5 | |
71cm+ | 10 plants | Step up by 1 | |
Pot Grown Plants | 15-30cm | 50 plants | Step up by 5 |
This guide is designed to help you nurture your hedge, whether you’ve started with young plants or instant-impact screens, focusing on the critical first two years after planting.
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