Planting Lilac Hedges with a Torch

Learn from The Grit and Polish how to create lilac hedges along your garden and tips for using Bernzomatic torches on landscape fabric.

Directions

1. Planting: We planted the hedge in an existing bed of lavender, so we pieced the new bushes in between them, spacing the lilacs about 5’ apart. To plant the lilacs (and really anything where we’re using landscape fabric as a weed barrier) we start by removing any existing weeds and then pull up any gravel or bed cover. We then dig a hole for the plant, slightly larger than the plant bucket. We test fit the root ball, making sure there’s room for soil conditioner and compost to fit in the hole too. Then we take the plant back out.
   
2. Next, we cut a section of landscape fabric to length. And here’s our big tip when dealing with landscape fabric: use a torch to singe the ends to keep them from fraying. You can see in the photo below that landscape fabric tends to unravel at the ends, and singing it keeps that from happening. It also makes getting a hole in the center of the fabric a ton easier than using scissors. We used Bernzomatic’s TS4000T, which is a great all-purpose torch.
   
3. Once it was cut to size and seared, we placed the landscape fabric over the hole and secured the edges with rocks or landscape staples. We used the torch again to melt a hole in the fabric over the hole in the ground. Using a torch for this step rather than scissors will make sure you can get the hole exactly where you want it with little effort and keep the fabric from fraying.
   
4. Place the plant in the hole with any soil amendments, then layer the gravel back on top. Water and you’re done! That’s it!