CS Hedge Planting/Spirals/Claim

T

Tucker

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

Somerset Devon border.

• Dec 16, 2023

• #1

Hi all, just finishing up 700 meters or so of planting, all caned and spiralled. The CS says to "avoid" spirals but having taken advice form the nursery we got the plants from and my knowledge of badgers/foxes wrecking rabbit fencing, rightly or wrongly I've done it anyway. Has anyone had any issues with making the grant claim having used spirals ??
Thanks. Nick.

 

Bella_vista

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

West Yorkshire

• Dec 19, 2023

• #2

Unfortunately I haven't used the spirals but I know others that have. In my case the nursery said use for the first few years then remove. I thought that was easier said than done so didn't use. I don't think we've lost many. Can always stick a few in at a later date

 

WiltsLad

Member

Horticulture

• Dec 19, 2023

• #3

I work at a nursery, we would generally recommend spirals as it's obviously a lot cheaper and quicker than rabbit netting. Also allows for spraying alongside the hedge (by both protecting the lower leaves from the glyph and also allowing for easier access to the hedge)

 

U

upnortheast

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

Northumberland

• Dec 22, 2023

• #4

All our claims went in with pics of spirals
Around 3000m in total
No problem

 

steveR

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

Gods own County, Shropshire of course

• Dec 22, 2023

• #5

Tucker said:

Hi all, just finishing up 700 meters or so of planting, all caned and spiralled. The CS says to "avoid" spirals but having taken advice form the nursery we got the plants from and my knowledge of badgers/foxes wrecking rabbit fencing, rightly or wrongly I've done it anyway. Has anyone had any issues with making the grant claim having used spirals ??
Thanks. Nick.

Click to expand...

If you have Hares (or lots of Rabbits) you will need spirals.

Had a 500m planted by Volunteer last winter and the budget didn't allow for spirals. Next Spring, we'll see what has survived!

 

T

Tucker

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

Somerset Devon border.

• Dec 23, 2023

• #6

Thanks for the replies , yeah, far too many rabbits, spirals have gone on as the grant covers it. Be interesting to know how you get on without using them, certainly takes a lot longer to add them.

 

T

Tucker

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

Somerset Devon border.

• Jan 18, 2024

• #7

Applied 2/1/24, Paid this morning, 18/1/24, quite impressed with that, thought it would take ages !!

 

Dry Rot

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

Scottish Highlands

• Jan 18, 2024

• #8

Spirals are fine but they are unsightly things and no different to litter or fly tipping in my opinion. Just had a 14 year old remove over 3,000 which I have tolerated for several years. The lad did a great job coming about 20 miles by train and the last two on a borrowed bicycle! (Cheaper than an adult and probably worked a lot harder!).

You can't burn them, recycling centre won't take them, and if they go as commercial waste you'll need a carrier's licence. Leave them and the trees will eventually grow into them and they'll be impossible to remove. Time they were banned!

 

F

farmerm

Member

Location

Shropshire

• Jan 18, 2024

• #9

Dry Rot said:

Spirals are fine but they are unsightly things and no different to litter or fly tipping in my opinion. Just had a 14 year old remove over 3,000 which I have tolerated for several years. The lad did a great job coming about 20 miles by train and the last two on a borrowed bicycle! (Cheaper than an adult and probably worked a lot harder!).

You can't burn them, recycling centre won't take them, and if they go as commercial waste you'll need a carrier's licence. Leave them and the trees will eventually grow into them and they'll be impossible to remove. Time they were banned!

Click to expand...

bloody things go brittle too, when you try to remove after a couple of years they fall to pieces

 

T

Tucker

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

Somerset Devon border.

• Jan 18, 2024

• #10

We're discovering they're quite good at blowing away too, one of the new hedge lines is right on the brow of a slope and can be proper windy, some with smaller plants are shooting straight off. Dad has enjoyed himself pottering about replacing them but I've just started on the second fence line, once that's done if they come off they are staying off !!!

 

Pan mixer

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

Near Colchester

• Jan 18, 2024

• #11

I have tried spirals, biodegradable spirals, cardboard guards, fencing and none of the above on the tens of thousands we have put in over the last few years.

My verdict; - None of the above is the worst option for survival - the whips need something, grazing hares etc, wind damage and whatever, we have had to replace most of those that were planted 'naked'

Biodegradable spirals sound good but infact they are only biodegradable if they get removed and returned to a specialist facory - which hasn't opened yet I am told.

Cardboard - if you can stick the price at roughly 10 times that of a plastic spiral, not too bad but not as good as the overall winner -

Clear plastic spirals, cheap, mini greenhouses, most plants survived, had a better start in the spring and appeared to therefore survive the summer better too.

Clearing them up is a pain, that may be somebody elses problem though.