Native hedging, rabbits

[PhilipB]

This is my first hedge, and it wasn't defra funded, it's basically for screening.

I glyphosated a line, planted my native hedging in March, thought there weren't many rabbits about, and they'd soon have plenty of other things to eat. So I economised and ordered no guards.


I've now double sheep fenced it and now one end of it is being massacred by rabbits.

Questions, A) will nipped off plants bounce back?

B) will rabbits ever leave it alone when spring gets underway properly

C) will they be okay next winter?

 

[suffolksmallholder]

No, no, no.
SS

 

[Sprig]

False economy. Get yourself some tree guards.

 

[Kidds]

I planted 50 yds of hedge last year and just one got bitten off but high so it didn't really matter.
From where I am sitting I can count a dozen rabbits right now and that's fairly normal at any time.
Strange how they will eat them sometimes and not others, surprised mine didn't get eaten off but pleased they weren't of course. I didn't use guards partly based on a post on here saying they weren't worth using. I wouldn't dare plant apple trees here without guards, they would all get eaten overnight.

 

[Kidds]

ps. I would spray them with garlic. It deters them and from experience it does work.

 

[Agriimark]

where abouts are you? happy to come and clear them with ferrets if that helps you.

 

[PhilipB]

Ok thanks.

The crab-apple got singled out early on, and that didn't surprise me, but that's the only one they seem to eat for nutritional benefit, the hawthorn they seem to just chomp through for the fun of it.


I've run rabbit netting around the first block.

Interesting about the garlic. How many bulbs per litre?

 

[suffolksmallholder]

@Kidds mentioned a thread that regarded tree guards as being not much use.
This to me is utter carp and rather like using frozen peas in concrete to make perfect ‘farmers-crazy-paving’ ie, a complete waste of time and effort. Plus the end result of a failed hedge and all the excuses which come out afterwards; cost being the main, effort being in there and dare I mention laziness
As to ‘proper’ planting with this being a Farming Forum and the long discussions on the-perfect-seed-drill, some costing serious sums of money it seems strange not to consider guarding.
In my opinion planting starts in November. There are so many reasons for this which I won’t mention here.
Guards perform several important jobs of which the primary is ‘guarding’ against waskly wabbits.
They also provide a micro-climate in which each youngster can thrive, particularly in late February early March when the temperature is still hovering around 0 degrees and if you do insist in spot spraying they protect each plant from the careless operator.
So to sum up; prepare your ground, with a mulch if at all possible and not glyphosate. Plant in November. Use clear guards. The end result will surprise with little beating up required.
You could add some interesting ‘standards’ in the mix like Wild Service, Cherry, Hornbeam to mention a few.
The pic shows our latest paddock division planted in November 2022.
Two youngsters have not made it out of the 2500 planted 40% are out of the top of their tubes already.
SS

 

[Kidds]

Here is a section of my crap, waste of time, lazy failed hedge that I planted at the end of May last year in a drought.
Shame it looks so sickly isn't it. There is rabbit netting on one side as you can see but the rabbits are mostly this side and can go round anyway, they are not fenced out.
Later I will get a pic of my concreting that I only used frozen peas instead of ballast.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Here is a section of my crap, waste of time, lazy failed hedge that I planted at the end of May last year in a drought.
Shame it looks so sickly isn't it. There is rabbit netting on one side as you can see but the rabbits are mostly this side and can go round anyway, they are not fenced out.
Later I will get a pic of my concreting that I only used frozen peas instead of ballast.

View attachment 1105623

Fab!
SS

 

[suffolksmallholder]

You could send the boy round in two years time with the hedge trimmer to cut everything to 1.2m including the standards coz that’s what happens round here!
Then scab the original boundary trees as well.
SS

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I have planted quite a few hedges here, all without tree guards. I was worried that the rabbits would eat them, but despite there being tons of rabbits about, they don't seem to. I didn't use guards mainly because, I hate to see them left on the whips, and knew I would not be arsed to remove them. Worried about micro plastics too. Trees planted on the top of the farm, not worried about rabbits, but those lower down, I was worried, but they seem to do OK. Bigger worry is the dry springs we have had for the last few years, but even that has not affected the plants.

If you are worried about rabbits, why not put guards on half the hedge, then see how those compare to those without guards?

 

[upnortheast]

Planted over 3km last 2 years.
All in tubes. Had 50 metres that didn`t get tubes on till next morning. Hares nibbled 20%.

Dont do any weed control. I think a good cover keeps the ground from baking. Lets call that a living mulch

Was concerned last August quite a few leaves frizzled up. This spring all but a very small % are growing away well.

As would be expected ones in damp ground are romping away. Those on dry dyke kests are slower

This planted Feb 2021

 

[ollie989898]

Guards should all be banned- the countryside is not a dumping ground for plastic. I'd sooner masses of fudging plants died than have the place littered with guards or pieces of guards forever more.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Guards should all be banned- the countryside is not a dumping ground for plastic. I'd sooner masses of fudging plants died than have the place littered with guards or pieces of guards forever more.

Our problem is that we are an oasis in the middle of intensive arable farmland. The few rabbits that haven’t succumbed to RHD still love an unguarded treelet. Add the numerous hares who relish the shelter our patch provides and then add the three different deer species and you have a bit of a problem. In other areas voles cause surprising amounts of destruction, nipping off unguarded youngsters just below ground level leaving what looks like a perfect whip when in reality it has been severed from its roots
Most of the guards are taken off by year five. Some are too brittle and break but I do try to pick up the pieces as I walk my boundaries daily.
Waskly wabbit fencing is good and cost effective on bigger acreage planting but if you have badgers then they simply rip it apart like little tanks and plough on with their lives allowing the perfect access point for every wabbit for miles around!

Whilst I agree with you entirely;
When the responsibility and costs of a bi-annual 10,000 tree planting programme lands in your lap the decision as to whether to fence or guard and not forgetting to add the dreaded ‘shooting’ fraternities needs into the mix you’ll not really worry too much about a small amount of plastic residue!
SS

 

[PhilipB]

To follow up on this, I rabbit fenced the lot in early June.

The rabbits just wouldn't leave it alone.

I'd bought the larger size plants, and the rabbits had knipped 80 percent of them down to about 20cm just for fun.

I don't think I've lost too many plants, but I've lost probably a year's growth.

I don't think the glyphosate strip helped at all, it just made it obvious to the rabbits where to find them.