Managing Newly Established Hedges

Ian Browne, Countryside Management Adviser, DARD

There were over 250 km of hedges planted or restored in 2006 by participants in DARD’s agri-environment schemes. Well-managed hedges are an important part of the Northern Ireland landscape. Hedgerows provide food and shelter for wildlife and livestock and act as a barrier to disease.

Once hedge planting, coppicing or laying is finished, the work is not complete.

It is important to manage new or restored hedges to ensure the plants become firmly established.

Operations such as weed control, pruning, fencing and replacing plants help with the successful establishment and restoration of farm hedges.

Weed control

Weed control is required to prevent damage, or even complete destruction of new plants during the early years of establishment.

Weed control can be achieved by using one or more of the following:

Black polythene sheeting – a 1 metre strip of 200 gauge polythene plastic covered with gravel or quarry dust is used to suppress weed growth.
Using mulches - wood chippings or bark conserve moisture and suppress annual weed growth.
Manual weeding - can give good results but is both time consuming and tiring work.
Chemical herbicides - including Propyazamide (Kerb), Glyphosate and Dichlobenil (Casoron G) can be used in either granular or liquid form. Only use Propyzamide (Kerb) in cold weather. It is the only herbicide recommended in the first year after planting. Use a guard to reduce spray drift if using Glyphosate. Dichlobenil (Casoron G) should only be applied to hedgerows that have been established more than two years.

Pruning

Pruning should take place during the first few years after planting a new hedge or laying / coppicing an existing hedge. Prune newly planted hedge plants to 10 – 15 cm immediately after planting to encourage buds to break from the base and produce thick dense growth but do not carry this out on whips intended for hedgerow trees. In the following few years cut back to approximately 75mm above the previous level, graduating to an A shaped hedge.

Fencing

Properly erected fences are recommended to protect new hedges and hedges under restoration from damage by livestock. Rabbit proofing with netting wire may be needed where rabbits or hares are present.

Plant replacement

With good hedge management the vast majority of plants will survive, however a small number of plants may not survive the early years and must be replaced during the next planting season.

For further information on the management of new hedges, contact your local DARD Countryside Management Branch, or on-line at www.dardni.gov.uk/environment