Native Hedge Planting

Why plant a native hedge?

Hedges are an important part of our natural heritage, excellent for wildlife and are functional, they provide a natural barrier to keep stock in, mark boundaries, provide security, and as a wind break or to provide a screen.

Many of our hedge rows have been lost in recent decades as agricultural practice favoured larger and larger fields to cultivate. There are now grants available to farmers to replant hedgerows, where before, ironically, there were grants to grub them out! - We are in the business of replanting them

Planting a native hedge in your garden, on or around your land or woodland, is a great way to grow a natural resource for native wildlife and to provide a feature of visual interest. Link below to our guide to the composition of a Native Hedge.

What is a native hedge composed of?
- See our guide to the species that can and do make up our native hedges

Hedge compositions and hedging styles change according to the region due to changes in soil type, climate, and the type of stock being kept in the fields, and also how they are trimmed and maintained. For example in Powys in Wales there are some beautiful round trimmed hedges designed to facilitate the snow slipping off of them, whereas in North Norfolk you may find carefully trimmed rectangular hedges.

Hedging traditions have developed in the main according to what stock is being kept in. Generally hedges can be divided into two types - 'sheep fences' and 'bullock fences'. The reason being that it is difficult to design a hedge capable of keeping both types of stock.*

Native Hedge Planting

A welsh 'laid' hedge - Powys

Native Hedge Planting

A carefully trimmed Cheshire native hedge

Ancient hedgerows

Ancient Cornish beech 'hedge' - Dartmoor

Hedge Planting by Eco Tree Care & Conservation

We plant hedges to your specification, either double or single row with a species mix suitable and in keeping with the locality. Where newly planted hedges must be protected from stock we can also fence off the strip with secure carefully erected fencing.

Hedging trees are supplied bare rooted during the dorment winter months and are planted before the spring growing season

We can give advice about planting distances, when to use tree shelters & fencing and of what type. It is sometimes useful to clear the strip to be planted by using a rotavator and after planting to apply a mulch of wood chips, to help combat competing vegetation, around the base of the trees.

Below are photos of a native hedge planting we carried out recently along the boundary of a nature reserve in Totteridge, North London

Ongoing Mangement

As with any planting scheme, there story does not end with the planting alone. On going management is an important and necessary consideration in order to bring about long term success.

See the Tree planting page - Ongoing management section for more details

* Source: Hedging - a practical handbook BTCV ISBN 0 946752 17 6 www.btcv.org

Tree Surgery, Woodland Management, Tree Planting & Tree Advice. Conservation & Land Management
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