Want to know how to manage and trim a hedge? Here’s some advice from Ben Newton, Wilder Landscapes Advisor for Norfolk Wildlife Trust <\/p>
Hedgerows\u00a0are a fantastic feature of our landscape. They\u00a0provide a home for a wide range of wildlife, and also provide corridors through the landscape, connecting habitats.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p> The goal of managing your hedge is to create, and maintain, a thick dense hedgerow, which will have the highest value to wildlife as well as maximising benefits to people and the wider environment. <\/p> Hedges are dynamic, living organisms, just like the individual plants from which they are created, and they follow a natural lifecycle. <\/p> Good management can prolong this lifecycle but,\u00a0however good the management,\u00a0the hedge will require some rejuvenation eventually, which usually takes the form of hedge laying or coppicing.<\/p> If you always cut your hedge to the same height and width then the hedge will produce fewer flowers and less fruit, and therefore have a reduced value to wildlife. The health of a hedge stem is also reduced if it is cut to the same exact point each year, as can be seen when hedges produce \u2018knuckles\u2019 at the end of a stem after repeated cutting to the same point.\u00a0<\/p> Many hedge species, such as hawthorn<\/a>, produce fruit on\u00a0the\u00a0second year growth,\u00a0so a good solution is to allow the hedge to increase in height and width slightly each year, say by 10cm, and then after a few years the hedge can be cut back to its desired size. Alternatively go easy on the hedge trimmer and\u2026<\/p> The good news is that it is better for the hedge to be cut every two \u2013 or preferably every three \u2013 years, rather than annually. This increases flower and berry abundance within the hedge. Perhaps part of the hedge could be cut each year on rotation, so that each section is cut once every three years.<\/p> January or February is the best time of year to trim a hedge. This allows wildlife to feed on berries and fruit through the challenging winter months.\u00a0Hedges should definitely not be cut during the bird breeding season \u2013 from 1 March to 31 August \u2013 because cutting at this time can disturb or destroy nests<\/a>, eggs or chicks<\/a>, which are protected by law.\u00a0<\/p> Take care of any trees within your hedge and look to plant up any gaps.<\/p> Within the wider countryside you need to seek permission if you want to remove a hedge\u00a0and\u00a0under the 1997 Hedgerow Regulations<\/a>,\u00a0permission will not usually be given\u00a0for old or high-value hedges to be removed. In domestic gardens\u00a0it is illegal to remove hedges that are home to nesting birds, or to remove trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order<\/a>. Advice should\u00a0also be sought\u00a0if you are considering removing a\u00a0boundary hedge\u00a0on your property.\u00a0<\/p> With such great benefits to people and to wildlife, hedges\u00a0should be cherished and enjoyed within all settings as a vital\u00a0asset contributing towards nature\u2019s recovery.<\/p>How to trim hedges<\/h2>
Cut hedges gradually higher and wider<\/h3>
Avoid trimming your hedge every year<\/h3>
When’s the best time to cut hedges<\/h3>
Are hedgerows\u00a0<\/strong>legally\u00a0<\/strong>protected?<\/strong><\/h2>