Green Building Forum - 150m of boundary hedging

150m of boundary hedging

Victorianeco — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 11:48:27 +0100

If you were to go for 150m of boundary hedging as opposed to fences etc what would you go for and why?

And what would a rough cost and timescale be to get up to say 2-3m in height?

150m of boundary hedging

WillInAberdeen — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 14:08:04 +0100

I bought a lot from hedging.co.uk, not only for their web address! They have packs and pictures that will suit you.

Need to plant them over winter when they are dormant.

150m of boundary hedging

djh — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 15:09:06 +0100

Posted By: VictorianecoIf you were to go for 150m of boundary hedging as opposed to fences etc what would you go for and why?

Second what Will said. There are lots of suppliers on the web or in the small ads in gardening magazines. You buy 100s of mixed plants with bare roots, so you'll want 600 or so I'd guess. Ask the supplier or a groundsperson.

As to what species etc, a lot depends on circumstances. There's a strong move towards using native species wherever possible. We got a mix to match our existing hedges - hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, beech, field maple etc. I added some wild roses for a bit more colour; there's a lot in the fields around here. Plant as normal in a double row. Probably took about five years to get to be a solid hedge of 2-3 m from small when planted.

150m of boundary hedging

revor — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 15:16:55 +0100

I planted about 250m of hedging about 12 years ago. It is now about 4/5 metres high but is cut annually by a contractor otherwise would be to big. Think paid about 40p a plant then. Best you talk to your local environmental department they like a mix of species and will have knowledge of what grows. Mine was planted as part of planning application to include part of a field into the curtilage of the garden so species were defined by that. Guess it will depend on where you live and how fussy your LA may be. The other consideration nowadays is being wildlife friendly particularly winter berry trees. My species are holly, dog rose, field maple, hazel, hawthorn, beech. It is more interesting than one out of a single species.

150m of boundary hedging

Victorianeco — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 22:01:34 +0100

Just looked at that hedging site! For 150m I could buy for Â£600 plus planting costs/time

Not bad, certainly cheaper than a fence!!

150m of boundary hedging

Jonti — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 22:12:55 +0100

Although hedges do cause more maintenance than a fence I would ALWAYS go for a hedge as they are much greener and offer a multitude of positives.

150m of boundary hedging

revor — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:02:58 +0100

Posted By: VictorianecoNot bad, certainly cheaper than a fence!!

Certainly just about to have 60m stock fence replaced Â£11 per running metre. Probably cheapest fencing one can do.

150m of boundary hedging

Cliff Pope — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:00:46 +0100

Posted By: JontiAlthough hedges do cause more maintenance than a fence I would ALWAYS go for a hedge as they are much greener and offer a multitude of positives.

A big factor in the maintenance is what is on the other side of the hedge. If it is a helpful considerate farmer then he will simply include the hedge in his own round of hedge cutting with a trasher on a tractor. Then you won't have to bother about maintenance on the other side.

But if you have farmers like those around us then they won't bother to mow etc up to the boundaries - they just leave a two yard gap and let the brambles and blackthorn romp away. Gradually your own neat hedge becomes swamped and dominated by a high thicket behind it, which you either have to assume responsibility for keeping under control or else abandon and just concentrate on stopping it spreading into your garden too.

Or of course you may have pristine suburban gardens as neighbours, with fussy argumentative owners who expect you to maintain their side and clear up all the debris.

150m of boundary hedging

WillInAberdeen — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:38:22 +0100

It's good for ecology to let bramble/blackthorn spread a few metres into the edges of fields, so the farms are getting a higher payment (under ELM?) for allowing that, maybe why they stopped flailing the hedge?

As well as continuous strips of habitat for birds/hedgehogs/etc to travel along, the brambles are supposed to allow saplings of larger trees to grow up through without getting browsed off, is how they naturally regenerate themselves.

We stopped cutting some bramble patches when we moved in 4 years ago and I just noticed this spring how many young birch/oak/maple/beech are coming up through them, previously we only had very old trees with no succession of young trees coming to replace them, because the young saplings had all got nibbled.

If you look at photos from 100 years ago, there were a lot more thickets about, it's only with more recent mechanised industrial farming that thickets are seen as 'untidy' and get grubbed out.

Even in a prim suburb, you can get a lot more wildlife by letting the grass grow 6" high and the hedges get 6' wide, seems on trend this year so people are ok with it.

150m of boundary hedging

Dominic Cooney — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 11:38:20 +0100

I agree with Will

150m of boundary hedging

Dominic Cooney — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 11:48:04 +0100

Also depending on the location they can be very low maintenance for the first few years at least. I have planted about 300m over the last 8 years in fits and starts, nothing needs doing yet. The bit that is doing best is now large enough to be laid. https://www.hedgelaying.org.uk/

Also at the last place I have cut/trimmed one side (The horses kept the inside and the top trimmed!) of 150m with petrol hedgetrimmers for a few years after we laid it, but then did start getting a bloke with flails to do it.

150m of boundary hedging

fostertom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:01:16 +0100

Posted By: Dominic CooneyI agree with Will

Me too.
Is it me, or is there a huge increase in bird song, honey bees etc this year? Perhaps back to 10yrs ago?

150m of boundary hedging

Dominic Cooney — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 09:39:00 +0100

There is here, but we assumed it was down to our "management" over the last 9 years, which includes planting 2,500 trees and hedging plants and then not doing a great deal (lots of wild areas)

150m of boundary hedging

fostertom — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 09:47:29 +0100

Undoubtedly, but have you noticed a sudden increase this year in particular?
I wonder what the stats say - they're always a year or so behind so won't be showing any sudden increase yet - but anecdotes should be about already, if so.
Can it be that farmers have significantly got the message in various ways? Like any profession - doctors, no doubt architects, they're the last to know, don't believe any of it until it's made mainstream in their trade mags and they (farmers) can calculate the grants etc to perform same.

150m of boundary hedging

WillInAberdeen — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 10:27:47 +0100

Still looking pretty desperate
https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/bgbw-results-23/

150m of boundary hedging

fostertom — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 13:18:11 +0100

That's surprisingly up to date. We always have masses of sparrows! But more of others too, this year, seems to me. Still one pair of swallows - hold our breaths but they still return, so far, tho down from perhaps ten pairs 15yrs ago.

150m of boundary hedging

Dominic Cooney — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 13:31:29 +0100

Posted By: fostertomhave you noticed a sudden increase this year in particular?

I wouldn't say so.
The biggest recent change here is due to one neighbour renting the land off our elderly neighbour, meaning that an adjoining field has been sprayed off dead, ploughed, limed, and reseeded with silage grass; after having no improvements the whole time we have been here. It was lightly grazed before and full of wildflowers, but is now a monoculture - like more and more of the fields around us.

150m of boundary hedging

fostertom — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 14:59:01 +0100

Yes that actually makes me feel sick nowadays (the act, not the spray), esp if followed by stock fed with ever-higher doses of wormer, which falls on the ground and kills all the insects, hence no bird food. Not so much monoculture but green desert. The ultimate sight - a field killed yellow, with Roundup or something, then sheep put on to eat the dead grass. And they ban us after our (strange) cats follow us for walk across their sheep field, saying cats bring disease to pregnant ewes - this in late summer.

150m of boundary hedging

Jeff B — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 23:23:01 +0100

Posted By: VictorianecoIf you were to go for 150m of boundary hedging as opposed to fences etc what would you go for and why?

And what would a rough cost and timescale be to get up to say 2-3m in height?

I used Griselinia. For 150 metres you would need about 450 plants. I paid Â£3 per plant from a local grower so that would be a whopping Â£1350 for your needs! I needed only about 30 meters worth. In theory they grow about 1/3rd meter per year - mine did take about 3 years to reach 1 meter but I keep them trimmed at that height now. They could easily grow to 2 metres or more - I know because my neighbour opposite has such a hedge.

150m of boundary hedging

fostertom — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 10:38:30 +0100

Posted By: WillInAberdeenStill looking pretty desperate
https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/bgbw-results-23/

Add to that, the declining insects that no longer feed the missing birds:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/07/more-wildlife-friendly-farming-needed-to-stop-decline-of-insects-in-britain-says-report-aoe
(incl links to the reports)

150m of boundary hedging

Dominic Cooney — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:31:14 +0100

Posted By: Victorianecowhat would you go for and why?

Native mixed hedging bought as bareroot whips from November to March - ideally planted in Nov/Dec so they have the winter for the soil to settle around the roots and to root a bit before the dryer weather.

Hawthorn
Blackthorn
Hazel
Beech
Hornbeam
Rowan
Gorse
Holly (comes in pots not bareroot)
Buckthorn
Oak
Elder (does tend to die off and leave gaps eventually)
Alder

anything native with fruits or seeds is good for wildlfife.

some prefer certain soil types e.g. the ground here is heavy clay and can be very wet.

If you want an instant hedge you could go for a willow fedge. I can provide you wth all the willow you need for this (if you are prepared to come and cut it yourself), but it's not native.

150m of boundary hedging

Dominic Cooney — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:33:45 +0100

Just push the willow rod in the ground in the autumn and it takes root, it will sprout leaves in spring.

150m of boundary hedging

owlman — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:18:15 +0100

That looks good Dominic, I guess you have to select the variety carefully, some can quickly outrun you, and once established you cant get rid of them.
I guess a good set of shears is a priority except it makes them grow faster.

150m of boundary hedging

djh — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:30:49 +0100

Posted By: owlmanI guess a good set of shears is a priority except it makes them grow faster.

I have a cordless hedge trimmer that uses a battery from my mower. And a friendly farmer who flails the other side and the top occasionally.

150m of boundary hedging

philedge — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 21:30:49 +0100

Just be aware that if you have anything thorny in the hedge youll be picking up punctures in bikes/wheelbarrows for the life of the hedge. I've lost count of the number of thorns Ive pulled out of barrow tyres!

150m of boundary hedging

djh — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 21:50:39 +0100

Posted By: philedgeJust be aware that if you have anything thorny in the hedge youll be picking up punctures in bikes/wheelbarrows for the life of the hedge. I've lost count of the number of thorns Ive pulled out of barrow tyres!

Not found that to be a problem, so I suppose it depends on where the hedge is. Also on the wheelbarrow - mine has solid tyres because I got tired of inflatables perishing.

150m of boundary hedging

borpin — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 06:58:37 +0100

If you want to keep things in or out (dogs especially) put up a post and wire fence first, then plant the hedge. They will always get through a hedge.

Blackthorn, hawthorn is a good mix and can be cut with a hedge trimmer. Tends to go a bit thin over winter.

Beech is another good option.

Laurel is a fantastic solid hedge but needs regular cutting and should not be cut with a hedge trimmer as cut leaves are a route for disease to get in. I have a 10M long 2m high Laurel hedge and it takes a few hours to cut and that is just the top and side. The far side it is against a wooden fence. It needs cutting probably 3-4 times a year.

For blackthorn/hawthorn/beech remember you need to trim it when young and small. Take out the tops and the tops of the side shoots/branches as that forces it to bush out. Don't do that and you end up with a very thin hedge with nothing at the bottom.

Also feeding the hedge cannot be underestimated - a good handful of Growmore every year as you try to establish it will make a huge difference.

150m of boundary hedging

Dominic Cooney — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 09:48:36 +0100

Laurel is poisonous to livestock so perhaps we should first of all find out where the proposed hedge is?
Also non-native. Loved by many for its privacy screening effect, when I see it in the countryside it just screams "anti-social" to me!

150m of boundary hedging

Dominic Cooney — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 10:34:49 +0100

Posted By: owlmanThat looks good Dominic,

Sorry that isn't our fedge, shamelessly pinched that image off the internet. We do have one but it isn't as neat as this (ours has been in for several years now) I would guess that image is the first year after planting. Ours is much more lumpy and knotty now which does actually look cool as well, it's very much an ongoing work that is regularly looked after by the OH.

150m of boundary hedging

Dominic Cooney — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 10:37:08 +0100

here's a pic of ours taken by the OH probably in winter