How to pipe and fill in a ditch with out killing the hedge and trees!?

[Doing it for the kids]

Piping a ditch that carries hardly anyway water, trouble is the hedge has grown down into it a bit. I have some great plumb trees around the hedge, ideally I’d like to fill in about 1m up to level things off but will it kill the hedge / trees

What have others done!?

TYIA

 

[Goweresque]

Kink the pipe out into the field a bit and only fill the soil up to the hedge level?

 

[Agrivator]

Why do you want to fill it in. And wreck the habitat for billions of living organisms.

 

[dudders]

What I've done in the same situation is cut the hedge right down to ground level, leaving the plum trees, fill in the gaps with more plants, clean out the ditch with a digger and run the electric fence along top of the ditch to keep stock out of it.

 

[Dry Rot]

Watching with interest. Presumably a perforated pipe is a no-no because of tree roots? Mine is a blind ditch (draining land but through an area bounded by trees I don't want to damage). Could I use a solid pipe and put a sump at the far end filled with large gravel?

 

[Doing it for the kids]

so this runs along the farm drive. no stock issues but I want it level and neat so I can grass it down and mow it, ready for the F*ecking couriers to drive all over it.

it carries no water to think off but I have issues filling in ditches with out pipes. a 6 inch perf has gone it with 200mm of clean stone over so what ever happens there will always be some drainage there. we are on heavy clay.

ended up digging a 6 inch trench next to the ditch rather than try to dig out and get levels right, we only have about 6mm / m of fall!

the hedge has been trimmed back but the plumb tree is the best we have, if it dies my labs and kids will be very upset.

@Agrivator we have a lot of ditches on this farm. I am gradually fixing everything. things either need to do a good job and work or not here. We have planted new woods, hedges etc and will be digging out ponds. I dry ditch has little enviro value relative to the rest of what I am doing here.

 

[thesilentone]

Why does it never run water, has something else in the locality changed over time that runs the water away from the ditch.

It was dug for a reason.

 

[DrWazzock]

Rip the lot out and level / grade it off nicely. Replant something neat and straight when it’s settled. Otherwise it will just be a pigs ear.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Why does it never run water, has something else in the locality changed over time that runs the water away from the ditch.

It was dug for a reason.

Yes since diverted it to a new 12 inch so this what’s left.

Rip the lot out and level / grade it off nicely. Replant something neat and straight when it’s settled. Otherwise it will just be a pigs ear.

Normally my policy but being farm drive I need clearance from planers and probably RPA (easy) and wife (less so)

Other trees (10,000) are growing well planted a few years back. When they screen a bit more a may revisit this

 

[thesilentone]

If you put a drain pipe in, and fill up, I don't think it will kill the tree's from the picture you posted. The one's leaning are on the way down anyway, so cut them down. They've been fighting for light, and have grown all wrong, so probably voluntary growth, that has gone a bit wild.

My only word of advice is, if you have a plum you want to save, take care. I pruned one years ago, and ruined it.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

thanks.

we have a few really good plums on the farm which my dogs have digitally mapped out and visit twice a day when in fruit! I am planting a load more this season as well but like to retain as best as possible.

I have trimmed a few up but as you say, easy to over do it.