Hedge width

[Sprig]

If you were planting a new hedge how wide would you make the fenced off strip? We have been gapping up all of our existing hedges since moving here but this winter will be our first planting entirely new ones.
We will be planting a native hedge mix on flat fields in Wiltshire, if that makes a difference.
Thanks.

 

[Pan mixer]

If you were planting a new hedge how wide would you make the fenced off strip? We have been gapping up all of our existing hedges since moving here but this winter will be our first planting entirely new ones.
We will be planting a native hedge mix on flat fields in Wiltshire, if that makes a difference.
Thanks.

For NE approval I am sure that they said that the fence had to be 4 feet from the hedge.

I have planted a double row between two fences 10 feet apart, it looked a lot when I first put in the whips but now some of it has been in 6 years, it looks fine.

Just a shame that NE didn't help with the fence cost at all in arable fields that are in a rotation with temporary grass.

 

[HolzKopf]

NE says for grant aided schemes fence to be at least 1.2m from 'centre of hedge' and planted in a staggered double row 40cm apart - min 6 plants per metre. Which isn't a bad yardstick grant or no grant

HK

 

[WiltsLad]

Yes all the above correct, 1.2m from centre of hedge is minimum specified. Realistically your hedge could easily end up wider than that though

 

[Alan88]

Neighbour got a grant here in NI for a hedge and fence had to be 2m wide. Looks great now was only a barb wire fence and he done all the work.

 

[neilo]

Welsh grant hedges used to have to be fenced 1m from the centre of the hedge, but now widened to 1.5m.

If you use HT8-80-22 (or 30) wire then those pesky sheep will graze through it and keep the hedge sides in trim, without being able to damage the hedge.

 

[Exfarmer]

NE says for grant aided schemes fence to be at least 1.2m from 'centre of hedge' and planted in a staggered double row 40cm apart - min 6 plants per metre. Which isn't a bad yardstick grant or no grant

HK

40 cm is farvtoo wide for a good hedge. My garden hedge was planted like that and will never be a good hedge. The old adage was a spades width about 8 inches or 20 cm still holds true . The idiots who thought this up were thinking thats was neccessary to make a thick hedge. You need the hedge to sprout out before you trim it so an 8 inch hedge will trim to 3 feet nicely and it can be laid well

 

[Davy_g]

If not grant related, i would go 1m fence to fence with the hedge in the middle.
It means the hedge can be trimmed easier when its immature and will fill out through the fences. the fences are only required whilst the hedge is immature and to stop sheep or cattle getting in to ruin the bottom of it.

 

[Lapwing]

We’ve got 30 years of new & rejuvenated hedges here in Wiltshire if you are nearby and want a look: some early ones a bit too narrow, but a lot of decent looking ones. They always look “lost” in a wide strip to start with, but once they are going well you really need a good 4 foot each side to maintain them properly by laying or coppicing. We hosted the hedgelaying championships a few years ago, and it is amazing to see the regrowth and improvement in density compared to unlaid ones of the same age.

 

[Agrivator]

Welsh grant hedges used to have to be fenced 1m from the centre of the hedge, but now widened to 1.5m.

If you use HT8-80-22 (or 30) wire then those pesky sheep will graze through it and keep the hedge sides in trim, without being able to damage the hedge.

And if you put the net upside down, sheep can graze through with far less chance of getting their heads stuck. And they also control weeds.

 

[Agrivator]

And while we're on the subject, never ever include Blackthorn in a hedge, unless you want blackthorn suckers to advance into the field, and possibly kill grazing animals with their thorns. Not even if you want to produce home-made sloe gin.

 

[Pan mixer]

And while we're on the subject, never ever include Blackthorn in a hedge, unless you want blackthorn suckers to advance into the field, and possibly kill grazing animals with their thorns. Not even if you want to produce home-made sloe gin.

Spot on with the Blackthorn.

I graze cattle next to some of my new hedges and they reach over the fence to pluck the plants out which is somewhat irksome, unless you have a good gap between fence and whips.

 

[Exfarmer]

And while we're on the subject, never ever include Blackthorn in a hedge, unless you want blackthorn suckers to advance into the field, and possibly kill grazing animals with their thorns. Not even if you want to produce home-made sloe gin.

Sorry but I cannot believe this post, Black thorn will produce a very thick impenetrable stock proof hedge on its own. The young suckers are readily grazed by all stock and I have never seen them as an issue. The thorns are nasty but I have never seen an animal injured by them and we used to keep up to 450 head of cattle and several miles of hedging with a blackthorn content.
Further it's nature of sucking means it is self healing in that a gap will be quickly filled from the bush next to it

 

[neilo]

Sorry but I cannot believe this post, Black thorn will produce a very thick impenetrable stock proof hedge on its own. The young suckers are readily grazed by all stock and I have never seen them as an issue. The thorns are nasty but I have never seen an animal injured by them and we used to keep up to 450 head of cattle and several miles of hedging with a blackthorn content.
Further it's nature of sucking means it is self healing in that a gap will be quickly filled from the bush next to it

It’s handy stuff to plant in gaps/behind climable rails on land alongside houses and footpaths too.

 

[organicguy]

We’ve got 30 years of new & rejuvenated hedges here in Wiltshire if you are nearby and want a look: some early ones a bit too narrow, but a lot of decent looking ones. They always look “lost” in a wide strip to start with, but once they are going well you really need a good 4 foot each side to maintain them properly by laying or coppicing. We hosted the hedgelaying championships a few years ago, and it is amazing to see the regrowth and improvement in density compared to unlaid ones of the same age.

Now I know where you are!

 

[Lapwing]

Now I know where you are!

Are you going to Yorkshire at the end of October?

 

[organicguy]

Are you going to Yorkshire at the end of October?

Yes, just booked my b&b the night before with a friend.

 

[milkloss]

A 2.4m hedge top. If you're good that's two swipes with a 4ft hedger, 3 if it doesn't pan out quite right. So with a rough cut and a finishing cut that's six passes for the top alone........ need some better frosts for that round here.

 

[Pan mixer]

6 year old hedge in a 10 foot wide pen.

 

[Agrivator]

It’s handy stuff to plant in gaps/behind climable rails on land alongside houses and footpaths too.

As an added bonus, it will also possibly kill off a few intruders.

Nasty stuff, blackthorn. Razor wire is far more customer friendly.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020138303004546