Overhanging trees in fields

lukin · 22-06-2021 7:57pm #1

My father has his land leased, he is retired with a good few years. I look after things for him now and I have a bit of a problem. The hedges around some of the fields were never trimmed back and now they have grown so much that they are more like trees than hedges. I walked a few of the fields there this evening and I was shocked how large they have become. In one place a tree in the ditch had fallen and I had to cut it and remove it. I can see a few more that will keel over soon.
The electric fencing wire is not being interfered with by the trees because last summer I cut the branches of the hedge that were growing at that level.
But the ones overhead are the problem now, I would get them cut by someone during the summer except I can't because the person we have the land leased to has cattle on it. He moves them around from field to field. He also cuts silage from some of the fields. I could ask him could he not graze the fields that have the overgrown ditches but I don't really want to do that as I don't want to make waves. The only alternative is to get those trees cut in the winter time when the leasee has the cattle taken off the land but the fields in question would be wet and machinery could not travel on them. They would actually be hard enough to walk on in some places. It's not boggy land but every field get wet after torrential rain. Another issue is that the trees that are cut down will have to be moved somewhere and believe me there will be a lot of stuff to move. Whoever does it would need a tractor and a large trailer. All the cutting and transporting of what has been cut would take ages. As regards the cutting of the trees themselves it is a job for a chainsaw and ladder (possibly even a platform hoist).
I am kind of worried about it, it's a massive job and would take ages to do.
Financially I can afford it but it's the timing is the problem. Has anyone here had this problem before? I suppose you all have your hedges trimmed back every year so you don't have this issue.

893bet · 22-06-2021 8:14pm

What harm are they doing?

Jb1989 · 22-06-2021 8:15pm

lukin wrote: »

My father has his land leased, he is retired with a good few years. I look after things for him now and I have a bit of a problem. The hedges around some of the fields were never trimmed back and now they have grown so much that they are more like trees than hedges. I walked a few of the fields there this evening and I was shocked how large they have become. In one place a tree in the ditch had fallen and I had to cut it and remove it. I can see a few more that will keel over soon.
The electric fencing wire is not being interfered with by the trees because last summer I cut the branches of the hedge that were growing at that level.
But the ones overhead are the problem now, I would get them cut by someone during the summer except I can't because the person we have the land leased to has cattle on it. He moves them around from field to field. He also cuts silage from some of the fields. I could ask him could he not graze the fields that have the overgrown ditches but I don't really want to do that as I don't want to make waves. The only alternative is to get those trees cut in the winter time when the leasee has the cattle taken off the land but the fields in question would be wet and machinery could not travel on them. They would actually be hard enough to walk on in some places. It's not boggy land but every field get wet after torrential rain. Another issue is that the trees that are cut down will have to be moved somewhere and believe me there will be a lot of stuff to move. Whoever does it would need a tractor and a large trailer. All the cutting and transporting of what has been cut would take ages. As regards the cutting of the trees themselves it is a job for a chainsaw and ladder (possibly even a platform hoist).
I am kind of worried about it, it's a massive job and would take ages to do.
Financially I can afford it but it's the timing is the problem. Has anyone here had this problem before? I suppose you all have your hedges trimmed back every year so you don't have this issue.

Tractor and saw, or digger and saw will face it in September or October, when silage is finished, and all branches will fall into field away from electric fences.

That gives you or local stick man till march to get them cut and blocked.

_Brian · 22-06-2021 8:17pm

You can’t cut them now because it’s the closed season.

Digger and saw is handy as he can also gather them up with minimal damage.

rs8 · 22-06-2021 8:20pm

I think you should be only cutting trees in cutting season (September to end of march) open to correction on this for a start

Best solution would be get a few contractors to price it ... 12 tonne digger with a tree shears and mulcher would do alot of work in a week and a decent lad should be able to sort out and pile the good timber! They would probably be around €60 euros an hour!! If your in the meath/westmeath area I can give you a number of a man that does all that work

rostalof · 22-06-2021 8:20pm

_Brian wrote: »

You can’t cut them now because it’s the closed season.

Digger and saw is handy as he can also gather them up with minimal damage.

The last three posts are spot on. People are now being prosecuted for cutting and felling during nesting season. It's the beginning of March to the end of August.

https://www.wexfordcoco.ie/environment/biodiversity-community-and-schools/biodiversity/hedgecutting-and-tree-felling

893bet · 22-06-2021 8:23pm

Throw up a photo

Stihl waters · 22-06-2021 8:23pm

893bet wrote: »

What harm are they doing?

Exactly, what is it with some lads that they see trees and hedges as being in competition in case they encroach on a few feet of land, unless they're dangerous op leave them alone

Fils · 22-06-2021 8:27pm

Loosing acres, saw them down lads. Didn’t think ye we all part of the Green Party.

Jb1989 · 22-06-2021 8:28pm

Stihl waters wrote: »

Exactly, what is it with some lads that they see trees and hedges as being in competition in case they encroach on a few feet of land, unless they're dangerous op leave them alone

Could be top hang of the higher branches, comeing close to big tractor cabs and mirrors.

Stihl waters · 22-06-2021 8:45pm

Jb1989 wrote: »

Could be top hang of the higher branches, comeing close to big tractor cabs and mirrors.

I could understand that in fairness to trim them back and make them safe

Stihl waters · 22-06-2021 8:46pm

Fils wrote: »

Loosing acres, saw them down lads. Didn’t think ye we all part of the Green Party.

Moronic comment, the green party do as much for the environment as the ifa do for the good of farmers

Birdnuts · 22-06-2021 8:48pm

Fils wrote: »

Loosing acres, saw them down lads. Didn’t think ye we all part of the Green Party.

None of that makes any sense

lukin · 22-06-2021 8:51pm

I need to cut them because eventually they will fall over on the fence wire.
The photo attached is from last November. That one has got bigger since. You can see what I mean about the field getting too wet for machinery to travel on. I need someone with a kind of tree shearing machine. I am not well-versed in farming practices so this is all new to me.
Btw I am as environmentally aware as anyone, I certainly don't want to disturb birds nests.

Fils · 22-06-2021 8:52pm

Stihl waters wrote: »

Moronic comment, the green party do as much for the environment as the ifa do for the good of farmers

They do of course.

Fils · 22-06-2021 8:52pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

None of that makes any sense

It’s ok, think about it.

Dirty Nails · 22-06-2021 9:00pm

lukin wrote: »

My father has his land leased, he is retired with a good few years. I look after things for him now and I have a bit of a problem. The hedges around some of the fields were never trimmed back and now they have grown so much that they are more like trees than hedges. I walked a few of the fields there this evening and I was shocked how large they have become. In one place a tree in the ditch had fallen and I had to cut it and remove it. I can see a few more that will keel over soon.
The electric fencing wire is not being interfered with by the trees because last summer I cut the branches of the hedge that were growing at that level.
But the ones overhead are the problem now, I would get them cut by someone during the summer except I can't because the person we have the land leased to has cattle on it. He moves them around from field to field. He also cuts silage from some of the fields. I could ask him could he not graze the fields that have the overgrown ditches but I don't really want to do that as I don't want to make waves. The only alternative is to get those trees cut in the winter time when the leasee has the cattle taken off the land but the fields in question would be wet and machinery could not travel on them. They would actually be hard enough to walk on in some places. It's not boggy land but every field get wet after torrential rain. Another issue is that the trees that are cut down will have to be moved somewhere and believe me there will be a lot of stuff to move. Whoever does it would need a tractor and a large trailer. All the cutting and transporting of what has been cut would take ages. As regards the cutting of the trees themselves it is a job for a chainsaw and ladder (possibly even a platform hoist).
I am kind of worried about it, it's a massive job and would take ages to do.
Financially I can afford it but it's the timing is the problem. Has anyone here had this problem before? I suppose you all have your hedges trimmed back every year so you don't have this issue.

Not being smart with you,but I get the impression that you have difficulty telling the difference between a tree & a bush? Are the like whitethorns or like ash trees? If it's bushes that are gone wild,go in next winter with a digger,break them down & push them back in to the hedge. They'll keep growing into a great fence next year & you can get rid of the electric fence.

Stihl waters · 22-06-2021 9:00pm

lukin wrote: »

I need to cut them because eventually they will fall over on the fence wire.
The photo attached is from last November. That one has got bigger since. You can see what I mean about the field getting too wet for machinery to travel on. I need someone with a kind of tree shearing machine. I am not well-versed in farming practices so this is all new to me.
Btw I am as environmentally aware as anyone, I certainly don't want to disturb birds nests.

A digger with a mulcher attachment would handle that no bother

embraer170 · 22-06-2021 9:06pm

Looks like healthy bird and wildlife habitat, and also provides wind shelter for cows etc. It would be a shame to cut it altogether. Why not trim the overhanging bits instead of knocking down the trees?

lukin · 22-06-2021 9:09pm

Dirty Nails wrote: »

Not being smart with you,but I get the impression that you have difficulty telling the difference between a tree & a bush? Are the like whitethorns or like ash trees? If it's bushes that are gone wild,go in next winter with a digger,break them down & push them back in to the hedge. They'll keep growing into a great fence next year & you can get rid of the electric fence.

I can't do that because on the other side there is a neighbours' driveway. Another hedge has a public road on the other side.

lukin · 22-06-2021 9:16pm

Dirty Nails wrote: »

Not being smart with you,but I get the impression that you have difficulty telling the difference between a tree & a bush? Are the like whitethorns or like ash trees? If it's bushes that are gone wild,go in next winter with a digger,break them down & push them back in to the hedge. They'll keep growing into a great fence next year & you can get rid of the electric fence.

No offence taken, this is not my day job; the point I am making is that the hedges are really more like a collection of trees at this stage. An excavator mulcher could be the solution because with the wide tracks it could travel on muddy ground. But does what is mulched just "disappear"?
If you look at my photo you can see it would be hard to make that disappear.

wrangler · 22-06-2021 9:24pm

lukin wrote: »

I can't do that because on the other side there is a neighbours' driveway. Another hedge has a public road on the other side.

A tracked digger with a mulcher would do a huge tidy up on it, it'd be easy on the land too, there's surely a good contractor near you, try to get it done in september while land is dry.
On most leases the onus is on the tenant to maintain hedges, you should read your lease. On saying that you should do it yourself and get a proper job done on it

Dinzee Conlee · 22-06-2021 9:25pm

lukin wrote: »

I need to cut them because eventually they will fall over on the fence wire.
The photo attached is from last November. That one has got bigger since. You can see what I mean about the field getting too wet for machinery to travel on. I need someone with a kind of tree shearing machine. I am not well-versed in farming practices so this is all new to me.
Btw I am as environmentally aware as anyone, I certainly don't want to disturb birds nests.

If that field isn’t a silage field, I would just cut the ivy and leave the tree as is... Ivy might only cause them to fall sooner.

But if you want to cut it back, I would say hedge trimmer on a tractor would make do a grand job... If the land is a bit wet, try to go in as soon after the 1st Sept as you can...

wrangler · 22-06-2021 9:27pm

lukin wrote: »

No offence taken, this is not my day job; the point I am making is that the hedges are really more like a collection of trees at this stage. An excavator mulcher could be the solution because with the wide tracks it could travel on muddy ground. But does what is mulched just "disappear"?
If you look at my photo you can see it would be hard to make that disappear.

A heavy duty mulcher will drive the mulch into the hedge....... out of sight out of mind as it were

lukin · 22-06-2021 9:28pm

wrangler wrote: »

A tracked digger with a mulcher would do a huge tidy up on it, it'd be easy on the land too, there's surely a good contractor near you, try to get it done in september while land is dry.
On most leases the onus is on the tenant to maintain hedges, you should read your lease. On saying that you should do it yourself and get a proper job done on it

Last year he didn't move the cattle off it until October.

wrangler · 22-06-2021 9:32pm

lukin wrote: »

Lat year he didn't move the cattle off it until October.

Don't know about a digger but the hedges used to be cut here when the cattle were in the field

893bet · 22-06-2021 10:27pm

I mean this in the nicest way but suspect I may come across as dick.

If you father is retired and you are “looking after things” then wasting time and money going in there with track machines cutting the hedges ain’t looking after much IMO. It strikes me you are doing it as it looks like it might need doing as you see nicely cut hedges around the place. It’s not really going to increase the rent or anything is it? Is the tenant complaining?

If there are big trees leave them. If one falls on the wire the tenant will soon get it off it and clear it as it will be in his way and his cattle may escape. Also he may have the land entered into a scheme (e.g Reap) which means the hedges need to be allowed grow “wilder” so that he gets his payment.

Cliffs. Look after something else!

Dirty Nails · 22-06-2021 10:33pm

893bet wrote: »

I mean this in the nicest way but suspect I may come across as dick.

If you father is retired and you are “looking after things” then wasting time and money going in there with track machines cutting the hedges ain’t looking after much IMO. It strikes me you are doing it as it looks like it might need doing as you see nicely cut hedges around the place. It’s not really going to increase the rent or anything is it? Is the tenant complaining?

If there are big trees leave them. If one falls on the wire the tenant will soon get it off it and clear it as it will be in his way and his cattle may escape. Also he may have the land entered into a scheme (e.g Reap) which means the hedges need to be allowed grow “wilder” so that he gets his payment.

Cliffs. Look after something else!

I would agree.(in the nicest possible way too

) Tightening the hedges up a bit to improve the fencing mightn't hurt but it doesn't need to be landscaped.

memorystick · 22-06-2021 10:37pm

Slightly off track but is there more dead ash this year than last year? I’ve a few with no leaves at top and saw a good few bare ones across the nation this week

Castlekeeper · 22-06-2021 11:36pm

lukin wrote: »

I need to cut them because eventually they will fall over on the fence wire.
The photo attached is from last November. That one has got bigger since. You can see what I mean about the field getting too wet for machinery to travel on. I need someone with a kind of tree shearing machine. I am not well-versed in farming practices so this is all new to me.
Btw I am as environmentally aware as anyone, I certainly don't want to disturb birds nests.

If something falls down you or the farmer can cut it up, there might nothing stir there for decades.
Unless you really know what your doing, trim behind the wire and leave the rest.
Most contractors and farmers haven't a clue about proper hedge management, it's almost a lost craft.
Anyway, youd be as well to wait til you or the farmer get into an environmental scheme where you could be paid for any necessary hedge restructuring and rejuvenation.

GrasstoMilk · 22-06-2021 11:48pm

Castlekeeper wrote: »

If something falls down you or the farmer can cut it up, there might nothing stir there for decades.
Unless you really know what your doing, trim behind the wire and leave the rest.
Most contractors and farmers haven't a clue about proper hedge management, it's almost a lost craft.
Anyway, youd be as well to wait til you or the farmer get into an environmental scheme where you could be paid for any necessary hedge restructuring and rejuvenation.

You'll be waiting for a scheme like that imo

They all say they care about the hedges abd the trees but no one can tell us what value they have to the environment or what carbon they sequester

It's a joke

Overhanging trees in fields

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