Hedge Laying

[alhand_newsage]

Hi all, I was asked a bit back to post some pictures of our hedges, so here's one of an old gnarly one and a relayed cheshire style. We also plant and coppice hedges, and do small woodland management, things like coppicing and felling.
We're also aiming to get a kiln soon, so all waste can be burned into biochar for soil conditioning - it beats leaving a mess and just letting it burn to ash. Cheers!

 

[del_boy]

@Tubbylew will have some more puctures hes our resident hedge layer

 

[egbert]

how stockproof is it?

 

[Lapwing]

how stockproof is it?

Some South of England and Midland style hedges from the 2019 national championships last week. Still going to put the fences back, but some styles would take determination to get through

 

[alhand_newsage]

Our top hedge, a Collie would have a job getting through, and the bottom one would most likely put off a Jack Russell. We've had one or two jobs where they weren't actually stock proof, but they were more like hedge rejuvination jobs where the customers didn't want the hedge coppicing

 

[alhand_newsage]

Those hedges look great, I was following the Nationals on facebook, it was too far to go and watch for us. Styles with binders look great and finish the hedge off nicely

 

[jellybean]

You should see some Devon style hedge laying! Done with a 360 machine, never get out of the cab.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

The hedges in Somerset Devon and Wiltshire look a mess . Are you re wilding
40 years ago you would have seen hedgelaying all around there . Its like no one bothers anymore

 

[D.S.S18]

I did about 100m 5-6 years ago, great big hawthorns, more like trees, the guy I was working for said it would never be done by laying it.
I said we'd have ago, ended up using a strap around the plant off his loader tractor to lower the hedge into place, there was only 2 that never grew once we laid it all, put some 1/2 round posts with a rail on to hold it.

talking to his Gardner last week, its a lovely hedge now, so the hard work paid off.

 

[Roy_H]

Ask the average farmer's son or farm worker what a "Billhook" is they would most likely answer "That thing on a baler knotter that spins around and makes the knot". Really lovely to see a well laid hedge and people keeping alive an old tradition. A bit like ridge and furrow ploughing , you only see that in competitions now. ( But we all know why, as soon as our first reversible was delivered the old plough went into the nettles)

 

[Danllan]

Some very good work above, as would be expected. I have to 'lay' the hedges around Mrs Danllan's garden every few years... not a job I particularly enjoy in any but fine weather, but I do like having done it - if you see what I mean. The local style, Carmarthenshire, is pretty easy and simple and is 'acceptable' for the further bits, but in general I have to do a more Southern one for her...

An old hand of my father's back in Herts, Percy (you don't get 'Percys' any more), used to lay the hedges around my mother's garden and on the drive, everywhere else was fenced. The best compliment for a hedge from the old boys back then was 'A hare couldn't get through it'. It certainly kept cattle in and, when there were tack sheep, I've no memory of any getting out other than when a gate was left open.

Ask the average farmer's son or farm worker what a "Billhook" is they would most likely answer "That thing on a baler knotter that makes the knot"...

Maybe true; I've got my great uncle's billhook which is in the local style of hereabouts in Carms (below), my father's which is a pretty arbitrary one and a small sparhook I made myself to replace a very old one from my youth (below). My boys regard them as 'hallowed' and aspire to be allowed to use them rather than the off the shelf job they are currently trusted with.

 

[Tubbylew]

Made a start on this seasons contracts,

Precipitating cats and dogs now ffs

 

[organicguy]

Made a start on this seasons contracts,

Precipitating cats and dogs now ffs

Cotswold ANOB conservation competition on Saturday nr Chipping Norton. Having my first go in the novice, next year I can go in the Veteran!

 

[alhand_newsage]

It's nice to see loads of interest!
I love the work, and the finished hedge,it's just a shame not so many are lookin at having it done

 

[wr.]

The hedges in Somerset Devon and Wiltshire look a mess . Are you re wilding
40 years ago you would have seen hedgelaying all around there . Its like no one bothers anymore

Can not believe this is the same Forage Trader who criticised my hedge laying a few years ago. There must be more than one with the same name on TFF.
This was the picture which offended him

And his response -

 

[egbert]

Some South of England and Midland style hedges from the 2019 national championships last week. Still going to put the fences back, but some styles would take determination to get through

That's nice work. Saddens me that there's not enough in the livestock to justify the ongoing work. We're all drystone walls up here, with hedgebanks lower down the hill...now mostly flailed to within an inch of their very lives, and doubled fenced if you want to keep sheep.

 

[alhand_newsage]

It's worth having hedges layed even just from a conservational value, not just for habitat and plant life but for our good old british countryside.

Looking at some diagrams and tests, it looks like hedges are good for the soil too, and holding drainage ditches more firm with the root structure.

There are so many points that are forgotten about when it comes to hedgerows.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Can not believe this is the same Forage Trader who criticised my hedge laying a few years ago. There must be more than one with the same name on TFF.
This was the picture which offended him

And his response -

I must have been drinking that night
Dad did leave an odd tree here and there . Perhaps ibwas refering to that
But driving around Devon and Somerset this week a lot of the field hedges seem overgrown

 

[anzani]

It's nice to see loads of interest!
I love the work, and the finished hedge,it's just a shame not so many are lookin at having it done

Now if there was a nice big shiny machine that could do it--designs on a postcard please.

 

[Tubbylew]

I've always thought devon bank hedges looked the hardest work, it's hard enough on flatish ground, never mind up balancing on a bank.