You may notice the estate are doing a lot of work on hedges over the winter. This is part of a long-term scheme that will plant 10,000 metres of new hedges and rejuvenate old ones.
Hedge Laying
We are laying around 1200 metres of hedges in the next twelve months and plan to start in winter 2023/24.
Hedge laying is traditional way of rejuvenating and maintaining hedges. The base shoot of the hedges are partially cut through to allow the hedge to be layered over and upright stems then woven together, which when the plant grows it creates a thick hedge providing a dense habitat for wildlife, and the new shoots afford some degree of protection from predators.
The photo below shows a recently laid hedge, showing the bound top shoots.
Hedge Coppicing
Hedge coppicing is another traditional technique to manage hedges, usually used when a hedge is not suitable for laying.
It involves cutting the base completely at ground level, which encourages vigorous new shoots (like pruning roses in a garden). After a number of years of new growth this hedge can then be laid.
One risk of hedge coppicing is damage to the new shoots by deer, so we will lay some of the brash over the hedge stools to help deter them, which also provides habitat and shelter for nesting birds.
We plan to coppice 125 metres of old hedges in February/March 2024 and gap up another 125 metres of the same hedgerow.
The photo below shows a coppiced hedge after the first season’s growth.
