8.5 Planting hedges

Hedges are valuable wildlife features. They provide nesting and roosting sites for birds. Their flowers and berries are vital food sources for insects and butterflies. They provide shelter for small mammals such as mice, bank voles and shrews and larger mammals like weasels and hedgehogs. Hedges are green corridors, connecting areas of green space together, along which many animal species travel. They can screen roads, motorways, and other urban features and emphasise the wildness of your site. They can be used as natural boundaries and, planted strategically, they can help to keep environmentally sensitive areas free of disturbance.

The best hedges consist of a variety of shrubs. hawthorn, blackthorn, and dog rose are the most beneficial to wildlife, along with hazel, holly, guelder rose and elder. Ensure your hedge reflects your local landscape and use native species for planting. Before planting mark the line of your hedgerow by pegging two lengths of string about 50 centimetres apart along its intended line. Clear away the vegetation between the double lines of string. You might have to construct a fence to protect your hedge in its early stages. Allow for six plants within every metre. They should be planted in zigzag fashion about 30 centimetres apart.

Use ‘whips’ rather than standard trees because of their faster growth rate. During its first year, you should weed your hedgerow regularly. Wood chippings along the base help to eliminate weed growth. But do not harm unnecessarily any wildlfowers. They play a vital role in the food chain and eco-system.

In autumn and winter you should replace shrubs which have died. In the first Spring you cut the shrubs down to about 50 to 60 centimetres above ground level. This stimulates growth and makes the hedge bushier, enhancing its value for wildlife. Once your hedge is established, you can make it more attractive by planting flowers such as red campion, wood avens, ramsons and foxglove.

Climbers such as honeysuckle and dog rose can also be included. as well as being pleasant to look at and to smell, their colourful blossoms provide food for fascinating insect species such as moths.

As your hedge matures, and you become more experienced in conservation techniques, you can shape it into an ‘A’ form or make it leafier and bushier using specialist techniques such as the ‘cut-and-laid’, often referred to as ‘hedge laying’ method. These methods take a lot of time and practice so it is worthwhile attending some of the excellent training courses organised by groups such as BTCV (see section 8.1 for contact address).

For more information on hedgerows contact: