The Gro Grid Fabric Mat: Planting Made Easier
You might remember from a post a few weeks back that we are now manufacturing the fabulous 'Gro-Grid' weed control planting mat. We have the machinery set up in our warehouse and have been building up stock of the standard mat sizes.
Mats with the correct spacing for garlic or onions are in high demand at this time of year, as they keep weeds at bay but also protect soil over winter.
As you know the Quickcrop boffins never rest. Since the machinery arrived they have been skulking around it, tweaking knobs and pulling levers to see what it is capable of. Their latest stroke of genius is a planting mat for bare root hedging, which will give you the correct planting distance and eliminate weeds while the hedge is getting established.
The new hedge planting mats are 1 metre wide with a planting distance of 32cm between plants (in a single row). The mats are available in 10, 20 and 50 metre rolls, but can be made to any length depending on the size of hedge you wish to plant.
The Gro Grid Hedge Planting Method
- Prepare the ground before you put the mat down by removing any deep root weeds and digging the planting holes.
- The prepared area should be 60cm wide to allow 20cm of mat to be buried either side of the new hedge.
- I would recommend adding a little blood fish & bone to each planting hole to help the roots to get established.
Westland Fish, Blood & Bone Meal
View Product- It will also be helpful to add a continuous mulch of well-rotted manure along the planting line unless the soil is known to be very good.
- Once the mat is in place, the bare root hedging plants can be inserted through the holes and planted in the soil below.
- The mat is secured by burying the edges with a spade and further fixing with landscape fabric staples if the site is exposed.
Bare Root Hedging
Of course the reason we have been coming up with hedge planting solutions (apart from being at the forefront of scientific invention) is that we also supply bare root hedge whips, which are ready to go in now.
Unlike many bare root hedge suppliers we lift our plants to order - this results in a healthier root which will be quicker to establish. Plants are also grown in the North West so they will be used to more challenging conditions if you have an exposed site.
'Standard' and 'Premium' Hedging Explained
Standard (Agri) Plants are grown from seedling stock planted in a field situation at approx. 2 inches apart. Standard stock is supplied unpruned and will need cutting back to 15cm when planted out.
The plants will produce a hedge of the same quality as the Premium hedge, but will typically be one year behind in terms of growth. Standard spec is more suitable for large scale Agri applications.
Blackthorn Bare Root Hedging Plants
View ProductPremium (Garden) Premium plants are grown from seedling stock planted in a field situation at approx. 6 inches apart (to allow more room for root development). Plants are pre-pruned to 15cm to create a multi-stemmed plant.
Premium plants are also 'undercut' which involves pruning the roots 15cm below ground: this produces a larger root ball which is much quicker to establish. Premium hedging is more suitable for garden applications, where a thick hedge is needed more quickly.
At present all our Bare Root Hedging is of the Premium kind, and as such is geared more towards garden purposes rather than larger scale hedging.
Edible Hedge Packs
A recent addition to our range of Mixed Hedge Packs is the 'Edible Hedge Pack', 25 x bare root plants which will provide Autumn foraging opportunities for birds and wildlife. They also provide human sustenance, especially for making jams, jellies, sauces and drinks.
Our native edible hedge pack includes: 6 x Hawthorn, 5 x Blackthorn, 4 x Hazel, 3 x Elder, 3 x Crab Apple, 2 x Dog Rose and 2 x June Berry. (*Check contents on the product page as they may change over time).
Edible Hedge Pack - Mixed pack of 25 Bare Root Plants
View ProductAs with all bare root plants, these are best planted as soon as possible after you receive them.
Oh and One Final Tip!
If your garden is in any way exposed, I highly recommend putting in a temporary windbreak mesh for the first 2 years after the plants go in. Your hedge will grow twice as fast.
