I would buy bare-root hedging for a longer boundary when the planting strip is ready, the species is suitable and I can wait for the hedge to fill out. Potted plants are useful when I need more flexibility over planting. Pre-grown hedge sections are worth considering where screening now matters enough to justify the extra purchase, delivery and handling cost.
Compare the same species and the same length of boundary. A cheap bundle of small plants and a metre of mature hedging buy very different amounts of screening. The lowest price on a product page may refer to a single small plant, not the size shown in its main photograph.
What are you actually buying?
| Format | What arrives | When I would consider it |
|---|---|---|
| Bare-root plants | Dormant plants with exposed roots, without a pot of compost | A prepared longer run where initial cost matters more than immediate cover |
| Pot-grown plants | Individual plants rooted in containers | A smaller job or a planting date that needs more flexibility |
| Root-balled plants | Field-grown plants lifted with a ball of soil around their roots | Larger specimens when seasonal delivery and handling are practical |
| Pre-grown or instant hedging | Established plants or sections sold to create a screen quickly | A specific stretch where waiting for small plants is unacceptable |
Ask the nursery what “instant” means in the listing. It might be a pre-grown section with interwoven branches, or individual mature plants intended to be planted side by side. Confirm the covered length, height, width and density. A row of tall but narrow plants may leave obvious gaps when you need privacy straight away.
Bare-root: spend less on the plants, prepare before delivery
The absence of pots makes a bundle easier to distribute along a long run, but you cannot leave exposed roots lying around while you clear the ground. I would have the planting strip ready before accepting delivery, with a plan for protecting the roots if the weather prevents planting.
The dormant season is the buying window for this format. An order placed in autumn can be for later dispatch, rather than plants that are ready to arrive immediately. Check the date against your own availability, not just the first free weekend on the calendar. Do not plant into frozen or waterlogged ground to meet an arbitrary schedule.
Green beech and hawthorn are examples to compare where those species suit the garden. Choose the root type explicitly on listings that offer several formats. A product name or search result can remain the same while the selected size, root type and price change.
Small plants are a reasonable choice when the hedge is being grown for the long term. They are a poor purchase if your actual requirement is to screen the patio before a gathering next month. Put that urgency into the budget from the start.
Potted: useful flexibility, not permission to forget watering
I would favour containers for a short run where planting has to fit around other work. They are easier to keep temporarily than a bare-root bundle, provided they are cared for, but a nursery pot is still a confined root space. Plan how you will water the plants while waiting and after planting.
Compare supplied height and branching alongside pot size. A larger pot is not a direct measurement of screening. Two plants of similar height may have very different lower growth, which matters when the gap you want to close is beside a bench rather than above a fence.
The hornbeam listing includes different root formats and sizes despite “potted” appearing in its web address. Check the selected option in the basket. The same care is needed when comparing a nursery’s “from” price with a quote for a specified batch.
For privet, compare the available root formats as well as height: a smaller seasonal order may suit a long run, while containers can be easier to manage for a short boundary. For cherry laurel, look closely at lower branching and the width of each plant when comparing potted or larger stock. Broad leaves can make a catalogue photograph look dense even when the delivered plants will leave gaps. Select the actual size and root format before calculating the whole order.
For coastal evergreens, the Elaeagnus listing offers root-balled and pot-grown options, while the Griselinia listing includes individual pots in different sizes. Portuguese laurel is another option to compare as potted stock. Do not transfer the spacing or price-per-metre calculation from a bare-root native bundle: use the selected species and supplied size, and check current variants before ordering.
Root balls and pre-grown sections: plan the route into the garden
Before paying for larger stock, ask for the root-ball or container dimensions and the delivered weight. Measure the side gate, the tight turn beside the house and any steps. A delivery vehicle reaching the road does not mean a pallet can reach your prepared trench.
Find out where the carrier unloads and whether you need help or suitable handling equipment. I would not order heavy sections on the assumption that two people can carry them safely. Ask the supplier how the plants should be supported while moving them; dragging a plant by its stem risks damage.
For a formal evergreen screen, the English yew range includes individual plants and a specified one-metre trough option. Compare the actual height and available format, rather than assuming every size is ready for immediate dispatch. Larger plants still need establishment care and watering; the premium buys more plant at the start, not a maintenance-free hedge.
Compare the whole order per metre
Measure the planted length after deducting gates and deliberate gaps. Use the nursery’s spacing for the exact species and size. If the recommendation is three plants per metre for a single row, a 10-metre run needs 30 plants. That is a worked example, not a universal spacing rule.
If those plants were sold only in packs of eight, you would need four packs, supplying 32 plants. Decide what to do with the two extras rather than squeezing them into the row. Ten sections genuinely covering one metre each would cover the same run with ten units; individual-plant spacing does not apply to those sections.
For each quote, add:
- The required packs or sections, using the selected size rather than the headline “from” price.
- Delivery to your postcode and any handling help.
- Ground preparation, mulch and any specified supports.
- A workable watering arrangement and the time to use it.
Divide that total by the planted length. If one complete hypothetical quote is £240 and another is £390 for 10 metres, they work out at £24 and £39 per metre. Those are arithmetic examples, not current nursery prices. Compare what the extra £15 per metre buys: more height, a denser starting screen, easier handling or simply a different species.
Match the order to the first growing season
Keep money and time for aftercare. Spending the whole budget on larger plants leaves you exposed if the first dry spell arrives before you have arranged watering. The RHS advises keeping new hedges well watered for their first two years; conditions and the root zone should guide the actual frequency.
If you can wait and have the ground prepared, start by comparing suitable bare-root stock. If the planting date is uncertain, compare containers. If screening is urgent, get a complete delivered quote for the size and density you need, including access and planting help.
For the delivery-day work and weather checks, use my guide to planting a hedge in winter. If the boundary faces salty wind, choose the species with the coastal hedging guide before comparing formats.
Planting and establishment guidance: RHS hedge planting. Examples above distinguish supplied plants from a finished hedge; prices are deliberately hypothetical.
