Your Hedge Aftercare Guide
How to Take Care of Your New Hedge
From install day ➜ dense, healthy privacy wall
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Aftercare
Watering Schedule
Follow this for the first 6–8 weeks and your hedge will establish strongly.
Days 1–14
Water daily
Morning and afternoon is best. Deep soak each plant.
Weeks 3–8
Every 2–3 days
Reduce once roots begin to establish in the soil.
Best time to water: Early morning or late afternoon. Avoid watering in the middle of the day during hot weather.
What to expect
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Minimal visible growth for the first 4–6 weeks — this is normal. The plant is focused on establishing roots below the ground before pushing new growth above.
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Some leaf drop or slight drooping in the first 1–2 weeks is normal transplant shock. Keep watering consistently and most plants recover within a few hours to a few days.
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Small dead branches can be removed. This is common and does not indicate the plant is failing.
Plant Health
Normal Shock vs. Needs Attention
Some signs after install are completely normal. Here is how to tell the difference.
Normal — water and wait
Slight drooping
Leaves hang slightly after install. Water deeply and check again in a few hours — most plants spring back quickly.
Water and wait
Light leaf drop
Losing a few leaves in the first 1–2 weeks is normal. The plant is conserving energy while it establishes roots.
Normal — keep watering
Small dead branches
A few dry or dead tips are common after transplanting. Trim them off cleanly and continue watering.
Remove and continue
Reach out to us
Wilting after watering
If the plant stays drooped hours after a deep water, something is wrong. Contact us before it gets worse.
Contact us
Widespread yellowing
Yellow leaves across multiple plants usually means underwatering or poor drainage. Adjust your watering and reach out if it continues.
Check watering — contact us
No recovery after 2–3 weeks
If the plant looks the same or worse after two to three weeks of consistent watering, contact us — we want to know.
Contact us
Support
Something not looking right?
Send us a message and we'll get back to you. We're here to help.
No pressure — just send us what you're seeing
We want every hedge to thrive
Serving Brisbane and SEQ
FAQs
Common Questions
Answers to what most people ask after install.
It depends on how much rain fell. A light shower is not enough — the root zone of a newly planted hedge needs a deep soak, not just surface moisture. If you had less than 20–25mm, water as normal. If you had a solid downpour, you can skip that session, but check the soil the next morning by pushing a finger 8–10cm down. If it's dry, water.
Yes — and it's one of the best things you can do for establishment. A drip system on a timer removes the guesswork and keeps moisture consistent, which is exactly what your hedge needs in the first 8 weeks. Make sure each dripper is delivering enough volume to fully soak the root zone — aim for at least 4–6 litres per plant per session during the establishment period. Run it in the morning if possible.
This is very common in the first 4–6 weeks and is not a sign something is wrong. After transplanting, Lilly Pillys put almost all of their energy into establishing their root system below ground before pushing new growth above. The plant is doing its job — you just can't see it yet. As long as the leaves are firm and green and you're watering consistently, growth above ground will follow. Patience in this window pays off with a much stronger hedge long term.
There's no single answer — it depends on the size you had installed and how close together they were planted. What we can tell you is that Lilly Pilly Resilience typically puts on 45–60cm of new growth in a single spring-summer season. Once established after the first 6–8 weeks, they grow fast. Plants installed at 1.5m with 0.75m spacing will form a solid, continuous screen within 12–18 months. 2m+ plants are closer to 6–12 months. The key is consistent watering in the first season to get strong roots down early.
Hold off for at least 3–4 months after install. The plant needs to focus on root establishment first — trimming too early redirects energy away from that. Once you start seeing strong new growth and the plant looks settled, light shaping is fine and actually encourages a denser, bushier hedge. After the first year, trimming twice a year — late spring and late summer — is enough to keep it tight and in shape.
Yes — highly recommended, especially through Brisbane summers. Apply a 5–7cm layer of organic mulch around the base of each plant to lock in moisture, keep roots cooler, and suppress weeds. Sugarcane mulch or wood chip both work well. Just keep it a few centimetres clear of the trunk itself to avoid moisture build-up against the stem.