New hedge.

farawaygrass

Hi all, looking to plant a hedge along a boundary wall in one of my fields. Any particular type better for not being eaten by sheep and cows? Was thinking beech. Or would any hedge need to be fenced off from stock?

Danzy

farawaygrass wrote: »

Hi all, looking to plant a hedge along a boundary wall in one of my fields. Any particular type better for not being eaten by sheep and cows? Was thinking beech. Or would any hedge need to be fenced off from stock?

They'll fly through beech and it is very slow to come.

You'd need to wire it off alright.

farawaygrass

Thanks for that. What about a holly hedge, isn’t that very slow to grow though?

49801

Considered Hawthorn? Traditional thorny hedge. You’ll need to fence off till matured.

farawaygrass

49801 wrote: »

Considered Hawthorn? Traditional thorny hedge. You’ll need to fence off till matured.

Have that sown somewhere else and this is for beside the house, so the beech looks a bit nicer maybe for that.

Birdnuts

Best/most robust hedges usually have a good mix of species,which is also good for birds and pollinators too. Best example i saw recently had holly,privet and Whitethorn. Gives good all year round cover, shelter for stock etc.

Say my name

Have a look at Photinia "red robin" or Cotoneaster too.

They'll need a strip of lecy fence on the outside though.
They all will bar whitethorn or blackthorn when established.

Dinzee Conlee

Say my name wrote: »

Have a look at Photinia "red robin" or Cotoneaster too.

They'll need a strip of lecy fence on the outside though.
They all will bar whitethorn or blackthorn when established.

I don’t know about Red Robin...

It’s a nice hedge, but it’s everywhere now... is it going to be the next griselinia, or leylandi I wonder?

greysides

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

I don’t know about Red Robin...

It’s a nice hedge, but it’s everywhere now... is it going to be the next griselinia, or leylandi I wonder?

I'd agree with you there. A mixed hedge including some Beech would be nice. Maybe a wild Cherry as a tree too, nice blossom. Field Maple, I think that gives some autumn colour.

Genghis Cant

greysides wrote: »

I'd agree with you there. A mixed hedge including some Beech would be nice. Maybe a wild Cherry as a tree too, nice blossom. Field Maple, I think that gives some autumn colour.

We've a nice mixed hedge here. It's just about to break into leaf, but over the winter the bit of beech and green privet gave a nice bit of colour and shelter. There's holly in there too but it was small at planting and still is small. We stuck a couple of crab apple trees into it too. A very red variety and a very yellow variety. They will blossom in the coming weeks and crabs are a nice colourful crop for the birds in autumn.

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A question on hedging. I was out walking along the hedge in my field( as you do!) and noticed a lot of gaps.

There's a mound as boundary. Is it ok to plant on the mound or what do people do?
Looks like a lot of the trees are the far side in the neighbours field.

Danzy

60% Hawthorn
20% Blackthorn
The remainder a selection of the following native species:
Hazel
Guelder Rose
Dog Rose
Crab Apple

7 plants to the metre. Double rowed, bout a foot apart.

Stock proof and colour, life and Interesting for most of year.

Grows bout 40cm a year.

Thickens well with hedging and in the event of being damaged, will fill in quickly.

Genghis Cant

Danzy wrote: »

60% Hawthorn
20% Blackthorn
The remainder a selection of the following native species:
Hazel
Guelder Rose
Dog Rose
Crab Apple

7 plants to the metre. Double rowed, bout a foot apart.

Stock proof and colour, life and Interesting for most of year.

Grows bout 40cm a year.

Thickens well with hedging and in the event of being damaged, will fill in quickly.

Nice hedge alright. The only thing about it is Blackthorn has a habit of putting up suckers and spreading out from the hedge if not kept in check.
Instead of the Blackthorn you could put in green privet and beech.
Another addition here is woodbine. It creeps through the hedge and has a lovely scented flower. I wouldn't go mad on it, just a few plants.

Danzy

Genghis Cant wrote: »

Nice hedge alright. The only thing about it is Blackthorn has a habit of putting up suckers and spreading out from the hedge if not kept in check.
Instead of the Blackthorn you could put in green privet and beech.
Another addition here is woodbine. It creeps through the hedge and has a lovely scented flower. I wouldn't go mad on it, just a few plants.

True, Blackthorn can sucker out, seen it in the glas 2 year fields.

Cattle usually eat it off when it grows Inside the wire but whether that is an option on this site might be awkward alright.