Rootballed
Rootballed Hedging plants are grown in the field and are in effect ‘crops’ that are harvested to order. And like other ‘crops’ there is window of opportunity for harvest and planting. After being carefully tended, clipped and fertilized throughout the summer, lifting normally begins in late October and continues through to April. Conifer types, however are often still available in May depending on how cool the weather stays. (The longer it stays cool the longer the season lasts.)
Rootballed hedging will have developed more slowly than container gown options resulting in stronger, fuller plants ideal for mature looking hedges or single specimens.
Taxus baccata is our best-selling item from this range, thousands gracing the gardens of stately homes up and down the country as well as high end business parks and commercial properties.
Rootballs are normally constructed in two different ways. With smaller sized plants the rootballs are simply wrapped in hessian. Larger plants have their rootballs wrapped in hessian and are then encased in wire mesh, tensioned up to form a firm rootball that is more resilient to knocks and movement. This also makes the plants much easier to handle as hooks can be used to move them or lift them into place. While wire rootballs are so practical they do of course cost more to produce and if you are comparing quotes that show a significant difference in price for what appears to be the same sized plants – it is well worth checking with your supplier what rootballed type they are quoting for. Hessian and wire should never be taken off the rootballs before planting as you will risk damaging the roots. The wire is not galvanized and will rust away quite soon leaving the roots free to grow as they please.
In the brochure below our wire rootballed plants are identified with ‘WRB’ in the margin.
Due to current fluctuations in the value of the £ please contact us for prices if large quantities are involved.
