Hi,
We have a long hedge in our back garden at the bottom of a slope. We were thinking of leveling off the garden slope with the addition of a load of topsoil. But this would mean an extra foot or so of soil over the hedge, covering some lower branches and leaves and making it harder for the water to get to the roots.
I was wondering if you could give me advice on this. Will the hedge survive? Not sure of the exact variety of hedge, but it is native to Northern Ireland.
Thank you very much in advance for your help on this.
Peter
Its not wise to bury roots of any plant - its not a matter of water not getting to the roots - its more that the plant has a natural above ground part and a below ground part.
Trees in particular don't like having their soil levels raised.
Best put in a retaining wall. Just place a couple of layers of treated pine sleepers about a metre in front of your hedge - you may need to fix them together with some long, galvanised screews or nails. Then run the new topsoil down to it and level off. It will look good and save your hedge.