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New hedgesAt the end of the first year of growth prune your hedge to

approximately half its height. In the second year prune to about

two thirds of its height. This encourages bushy growth. After

this your hedge will need a light prune for the first 10 years

of its life.

Hedge treesIf you are growing taller trees in your hedge label them so they

are not pruned. It may help these trees if the hedge is cut in an

‘A’ shape rather than the more common square shape. This will

reduce the risk of damage when the hedge is cut.

For work on large trees anyone other than a qualified

arborist should consult an expert. Quotations are usually free,

but there may be a fee for advice. For more information on

managing trees please contact the Arboricultural Association

www.trees.org.uk. The Tree Council also has a special campaign

for Hedge Trees. Visit www.treecouncil.org.uk.

Hedge managementAimed At pupils, teACHeRs ANd ACtivity leAdeRs

Traditionally hedges were all cut by hand. Today we use a range

of techniques and the type of management that is needed will

depend on what your hedge is for. For instance stock hedges

are often layed and hedges grown for wildlife are cut on a

longer 3 year cycle. Here are some key points to remember.

timing It is usually best to prune hedges in late autumn and early winter

– before the spring growth. Other times are possible, except late

winter or early spring when many hedge plants and trees exude

sap. No work should be carried out during the spring breeding

season if, for example, there is any risk of disturbing nesting birds.

For healthy plants also avoid heavy pruning after spring frosts.

If you have planted a hedge containing birch, horse chestnut,

walnut, maple, or cherry you may wish to get additional support

on management as these species have a tendency to exude

more sap after their dormant stage.

Hedgerow Harvest from www.hedgerowharvest.org.uk

Copyright © The Tree Council Reg. Charity no. 279000

Filling in gaps

• If plants fail, or you have a gap in your hedge, add new plants. If they are near mature plants, you may need to choose more shade tolerant species – like holly or beech – and prune some of the surrounding plants to give the new plants a

chance to establish themselves.

long-term managementUnder the current recommendations (July 2010) from the

Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs, mature

hedges should be trimmed no more frequently than every other

year. They also suggest that you alternate which hedges you trim

to enable plants that only flower every other year to flower and

fruit. They recommend dividing your hedges into three and doing

one third each year. The exception to this rule is hedges that

impede access or are by a road or byway. These recommendations

will increase the harvest for you and wildlife.

Finding out more

• The Hedgelaying Society www.hedgelaying.org.uk

• Woodland Trust www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

• Royal Horticultural Society www.rhs.org.uk

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew www.kew.org

• Institute of Horticulture www.horticulture.org.uk

• The Horticultural Trades Association www.the-hta.org.uk

• Arboricultural Association www.trees.org.uk

Aimed At pupils, teACHeRs ANd ACtivity leAdeRs

laying

• Hedge laying is a specialist management technique used to

create a dense base to the hedge. Originally it was used to

provide a livestock barrier.

• If you are hoping to lay your hedge this should be done

between the fifth and eighth year of its life.

• If you are growing bigger trees in your hedge, label them

so they are not layered.

mulching

• Make sure the hedge plants are not out-competed by weeds.

You can suppress weed growth with mulch (bark, straw) or

a plastic membrane. Mulch also helps water retention which

is important during the long summer holidays. Watering can

make plants become reliant on surface water so mulching

encourages the plants to put roots down and look for

their own.

managing land adjacent to the hedge

• This is important for wildlife. Try to leave a longer grassy

area for at least 2m along the side of the hedge. You may

also think about increasing the diversity of plants by reseeding

with a meadow mix. Visit Flora Locale at www.floralocale.org

for further advice on planting wild flowers.

• This strip will need to be strimmed once a year. If you want

to encourage tussocky grass you may choose to strim it only

once every few years. Initially, you could vary your cutting

time and see what grows.

Hedgerow Harvest from www.hedgerowharvest.org.uk