How to Plant a Hedge Next to the House Foundation

Foundational hedges often add the right touch to your landscaping, drawing attention to a home if they are designed to complement its features and not compete against them. An important consideration in choosing the proper hedge for your home is location -- some sides of the home can become excessively hot from the sun and need drought-tolerant plants. Also, for the security of the home you do not want to plant hedges that will grow to obscure the view of windows and allow a burglar to work undisturbed.

Shovel
Assistant

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the hedge 3 to 5 feet from the side of the home. The plant needs air circulation to grow properly, and planting it directly against the side of the home may disrupt any basement waterproofing system put into place.
- 2
  Allow for sufficient space between hedges for growth. Know what the characteristics of the mature plant are.
- 3
  Keep the root ball moist while waiting to be planted. Carefully unwrap it right before putting it into the hole.
- 4
  Dig a hole sufficient for the root ball to fit into with a 6-inch clearance on all sides. Set the soil aside.
- 5
  Set the root ball into the hole, being careful not to rip or tear any roots. Position the shrub for the best vertical appearance and growth pattern.
- 6
  Hold the shrub in position while your helper backfills in around the root ball with the same soil that was dug from the hole. Fill slowly and carefully, ensure that the roots are not damaged and that there are no air pockets left around the ball. Save the left over soil.
- 7
  Water the shrub thoroughly after planting and every other day after that for two weeks. Several weeks after planting, use the left-over soil to fill in the depression around the root ball where the soil has settled.

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