Hedgerow Planting
When
Plant your hedgerow between November and March when the plants are dormant. Never plant out when the ground is frozen or too wet as this will drastically reduce the survival rate of the whips due to root damage.
What to plant
Sourcing Plants
A good rule of thumb to follow is to source native tree species that occur in existing hedgerows within the area. These species will be better adapted to local climatic and soil conditions giving your hedgerow the best chance of establishing.
Try and source hedgerow plants of local provenance as utilisation of foreign strains are causing a decline in the genetic integrity of our hedgerows nationally. You can even propagate these heritage strains yourself by collecting seeds from local ancient hedgerows.
Species Mix
A habitat with floral diversity has the potential to support more wildlife. Aim to incorporate five or six different tree species that flower and fruit at different times of the year within your species mix. This ensures a meal throughout the seasons for those that feed on your hedgerow. For example, during autumn, hazel dormice will feed on nuts, seeds, and berries to fatten up for hibernation and feed on pollen and nectar when they arise in the spring.
A typical species mix can look like something like this:
- 50% Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn)
- 10% Corylus avellana (Hazel)
- 10% Prunus cerasifera (Cherry Plum)
- 5% Malus sylvestris (Crab Apple)
- 5% Euonymus europaeus (Spindle)
- 5% Acer campestre (Field Maple)
- 5% Rhamnus cathartica (Common Buckthorn)
- 5% Rosa canina (Dog Rose)
- 5% Viburnum opulus (Guelder Rose)
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How to plant for success
Preparing the ground
Depending on the site, prepare the ground prior to planting by strimming to remove vegetation (brambles etc.) which will give you easy access to the ground.
Heeling in
Organise your whip deliveries a few days prior to planting to allow for any supplier delays. Typically, whips are purchased in bare root form which have the potential to dry out. To keep roots moist, make sure whips are kept in their bags until they are placed in the ground, and are stored for no longer than two or three days. Think about a location where you can heel in your whips in case the weather scuppers your planting day plans. Heeling in is a method for temporarily storing your plants before planting out in their final location - here you temporarily plant your hedging in a (well-drained) hole or trench, and cover over with earth, compost or sand.
Planting out
Plant five or six whips of the same species per metre in a single or double row using the notch/slit planting method (Hedge Planting with Nigel Adams - video below). For a single row, make sure whips are approximately 30 cm apart. For a double row, plant whips in a zig zag formation with a 50 cm gap between whips on the same row and a 45 cm gap between parallel rows. You could fashion your own hedgerow measuring device using a long piece of rope and coloured tape to indicate the spacings. If there are populations of deer or rabbit within the area, consider protecting the young plants with a tree guard.
Mulching
Give your brand-new hedge a thick mulch with wood chip, grass clippings, cardboard, sheep fleece or jute sacking. This will aid water retention and help to suppress weeds.
Aftercare
To learn more about how to care for your new hedgerow have a read of ‘Caring for your new hedge’.
For more detailed advice on hedgerow planting see The Tree Council's Planting Guidance
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