Hedge Cutting

Vizslaman · Oct 6, 2016

I got a right ear bashing from a tree huger after I cut the hedge alongside the road this year.

She was going to report me as we cut the hedge last year and reckoned we are only allowed to cut it every 2 years

My understanding is that cutting every 2 or 3 years is a recommendation not something enshrined in law.

The internal field hedges I only cut every 2 and alternate which side is cut, purely for conservation purposes.

Am I right ?

multi power · Oct 6, 2016

There is no law about when you can or can't cut hedges

Grassman · Oct 6, 2016

multi power said:
There is no law about when you can or can't cut hedges

You can cut anytime so long as you don't damage birds nests but if you claim SFP then you have to comply with the rules for the scheme.

onthehoof · Oct 6, 2016

Only ELS/ HLS specify how often, as said if you claim BPS you can't cut till 1st Sept but you can cut earlier if alongside a road and you're doing it for safety reasons i.e. sight lines

multi power · Oct 6, 2016

Grassman said:
You can cut anytime so long as you don't damage birds nests but if you claim SFP then you have to comply with the rules for the scheme.

Single farm payment rules are not law
I'm guessing the op isn't claiming any payment anyway

Selectamatic · Oct 6, 2016

More rules by people in suits, that sit behind desks, that dream up good ideas.

From what I see, cutting every year trims the hedge back, making it tidy, stockproof and dense (dense enough to allow nesting animals to live in it, and other creatures to live under it etc)

Over a year the hedge takes a lot of bashing back into shape, you loose the tidyness and denseness of it, leaving it bare and open.

I might be wrong, but that's my opinion.

multi power · Oct 6, 2016

I think we should have a cull of these "little Hitlers "

Lazy Eric · Oct 6, 2016

Don't claim any bps hls els .. Then cut hedges however you like!!

feilding · Oct 6, 2016

Cut it again at end of February before the season ends , just because you can.[emoji3]

Against_the_grain · Apr 8, 2020

I've got a hedge along our drive that we didnt get cut before the end of feb as the wide grass verge would of been damaged and we didnt want ruts in it. As long as I check that there are no nesting birds am I ok to cut it now the ground has dried in April? We obviously claim BPS/ELS across the farm but where this hedge is, is not on or next to any BPS land. As I see it it's our private hedge to do what we want with?

D14 · Apr 8, 2020

Against_the_grain said:
I've got a hedge along our drive that we didnt get cut before the end of feb as the wide grass verge would of been damaged and we didnt want ruts in it. As long as I check that there are no nesting birds am I ok to cut it now the ground has dried in April? We obviously claim BPS/ELS across the farm but where this hedge is, is not on or next to any BPS land. As I see it it's our private hedge to do what we want with?

We’ve got loads of hedges we can’t cut now. Couldn’t cut them between sept and feb for two reasons. First all the hedges had CS strips alongside them which had to stay in place till Jan so accessing the hedges prior to that date would of ruined the CS strips, then between jan and the cut off date we couldn’t access because of the all the rain we had. Any tractors would of created ruts and damaged the soil creating run off.

It’s a flipping nightmare because we’re now preparing seedbeds for the new lot of CS strips but can’t cut the hedges because of the date which means it’ll be Jan next year before we can as long as it’s not wet again.

Princess Pooper · Apr 8, 2020

D14 said:
We’ve got loads of hedges we can’t cut now. Couldn’t cut them between sept and feb for two reasons. First all the hedges had CS strips alongside them which had to stay in place till Jan so accessing the hedges prior to that date would of ruined the CS strips, then between jan and the cut off date we couldn’t access because of the all the rain we had. Any tractors would of created ruts and damaged the soil creating run off.

It’s a flipping nightmare because we’re now preparing seedbeds for the new lot of CS strips but can’t cut the hedges because of the date which means it’ll be Jan next year before we can as long as it’s not wet again.

Only 1 year growth? what are you moaning about? Enjoy the blossom and don't trim them next autumn til the birds have had a go at the berries.

Princess Pooper · Apr 8, 2020

Against_the_grain said:
I've got a hedge along our drive that we didnt get cut before the end of feb as the wide grass verge would of been damaged and we didnt want ruts in it. As long as I check that there are no nesting birds am I ok to cut it now the ground has dried in April? We obviously claim BPS/ELS across the farm but where this hedge is, is not on or next to any BPS land. As I see it it's our private hedge to do what we want with?

If it is a private (domestic) hedge then you are correct, you can cut if there are no nesting birds.

carpenter1 · Apr 8, 2020

I have heard a local farmer trimming hedges for the last 3 evenings, I do not know how he gets away with it.

Hedge Cutting

Vizslaman

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multi power

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Grassman

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onthehoof

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multi power

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Selectamatic

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multi power

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Lazy Eric

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feilding

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Against_the_grain

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D14

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Princess Pooper

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Princess Pooper

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carpenter1

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