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

Jb1989 · 23-06-2021 12:04am

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

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

All environmental schemes this last donkeys years have included hedge restructuring, mainly the copicing option.

I'll be very surprised if that just stops all of a sudden.

jaymla627 · 23-06-2021 12:09am

memorystick wrote: »

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

Very few ash trees locally not riddled with dieback, even trees with leaves have it here when you cut them up

893bet · 23-06-2021 6:55am

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

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

New reap scheme includes a rating linked to payment for hedge rows. And also an optional payment to fund planting a new hedge row.

lukin · 23-06-2021 7:01am

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!

That's not the reason I want to do it. You can't just leave trees grow and grow, eventually they get so heavy at the top they keel over, landing on the fence wire and then the cattle break out . I am surprised to see people here saying "Ah sure let them grow away, what harm are they doing".
It strikes me as a typical Irish "yerra it'll be grand" attitude.

Dinzee Conlee · 23-06-2021 7:12am

lukin wrote: »

That's not the reason I want to do it. You can't just leave trees grow and grow, eventually they get so heavy at the top they keel over, landing on the fence wire and then the cattle break out . I am surprised to see people here saying "Ah sure let them grow away, what harm are they doing".
It strikes me as a typical Irish "yerra it'll be grand" attitude.

If you cut the ivy from them, they shouldn’t keel over for a long long time. And if they do, it would most likely be in a storm, which would most likely be in winter, when most likely the cattle would be in...

I don’t think it’s the sheep, it’ll be grand’ attitude... (although maybe it is a little with me too)

But maybe as well you need to see trees as a resource, for shade and shelter for animals. They don’t need to be trimmed back all the time...

893bet · 23-06-2021 7:13am

lukin wrote: »

That's not the reason I want to do it. You can't just leave trees grow and grow, eventually they get so heavy at the top they keel over, landing on the fence wire and then the cattle break out . I am surprised to see people here saying "Ah sure let them grow away, what harm are they doing".
It strikes me as a typical Irish "yerra it'll be grand" attitude.

The majority here are farmers. The majority here are saying prob leave the hedge alone. As mentioned the farmer may be in an agri scheme that pays to allow the hedge grow naturally.

Trees don’t fall over as often as you think. It’s easy clear if it does. Cattle don’t break out as that happens during the winter (your tenant is not out wintering) in storm season. Most farmers walk their bounds in the spring checking for weakness. This is his problem in any case.

Trees form an important part of a hedge. In reap you are required to mark hedge plants every thirty metres as trees ie commit to never cutting them back to hedge level and let them mature.

893bet · 23-06-2021 7:15am

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

If you cut the ivy from them, they shouldn’t keel over for a long long time. And if they do, it would most likely be in a storm, which would most likely be in winter, when most likely the cattle would be in...

I don’t think it’s the sheep, it’ll be grand’ attitude... (although maybe it is a little with me too)
But maybe as well you need to see trees as a resource, for shade and shelter for animals. They don’t need to be trimmed back all the time...

Great minds think alike! And great point on the shade. You can see in the image the cattle gather under there for shelter even.

wrangler · 23-06-2021 7:54am

lukin wrote: »

That's not the reason I want to do it. You can't just leave trees grow and grow, eventually they get so heavy at the top they keel over, landing on the fence wire and then the cattle break out . I am surprised to see people here saying "Ah sure let them grow away, what harm are they doing".
It strikes me as a typical Irish "yerra it'll be grand" attitude.

I'd be the same as you , I like to keep them tidy, there's plenty of trees laround without letting mine get in a mess.
If it's not that way at the moment it will shortly get impossible to keep a stock proof fence in it and when you go renovate it half the hedge will be dead/rotten from neglect.
I can assure you the advice here does not represent most farmers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cq7ibJcORg&t=49s

This is my land getting silage cut, you'll see some of the hedges aren't topped but kept breasted and others are trimmed on the top and sides.
but the hedges that are left grow up will shortly need to be cut down or there'll be no hedge/fence

_Brian · 23-06-2021 8:10am

jaymla627 wrote: »

Very few ash trees locally not riddled with dieback, even trees with leaves have it here when you cut them up

Same here in west Cavan, I don’t think there is an ash tree abkut not badly affected

It was noticeable travelling from Athlone via granard back home much fewer trees affected nearer Athlone. We saw plenty of fully grown ash with no aparant disease at all, full trees in full leaf, looking great.

K.G. · 23-06-2021 9:27am

lukin wrote: »

That's not the reason I want to do it. You can't just leave trees grow and grow, eventually they get so heavy at the top they keel over, landing on the fence wire and then the cattle break out . I am surprised to see people here saying "Ah sure let them grow away, what harm are they doing".
It strikes me as a typical Irish "yerra it'll be grand" attitude.

I don't think it's a yera attitude.from the picture they are fine trees and the place is fenced well and it isn't just us that are in this world.i m no tree hugger and will cut away if needs be but a few trees on borders are nice and if they go down just get out the saw and cut athat rather than allowing for things that may never happen

delldelivery · 23-06-2021 10:53am

wrangler wrote: »

there's plenty of trees around without letting mine get in a mess.

I believe you'll find theres not "plenty of trees around".

wrangler · 23-06-2021 11:21am

delldelivery wrote: »

I believe you'll find theres not "plenty of trees around".

Having had sheep all my life I've had plenty of experience of farmers with the electric fence out 2ft from the ditch same as lukins land. it is not sustainable and the ditch will rot.
I laughed at a dairy farmer lately having land near a mountain and the goats comong through a neglected hedge that was rotten. Had he maintained the hedge it would have been stockproof from both sides. He deserved all the hassle he got, people think one strand of electric fence is fenced.

roosterman71 · 23-06-2021 11:30am

I don't see any issue with the pic the OP sent, apart from a few branches possibly interfering with machinery. If that's the case, trim those back and leave the rest growing away. You can see marks where cattle are using that spot for shelter. It's serving a purpose for them, and also whatever other wildlife is there. Trees and hedges growing is good. We should let them (but maintain them!)

OP, what part of the country are you in? I know a man with a digger and saw/mulcher who would make short work of it. I know another lad that will cut the timber up and bring it away, leaving you with just the tops to sort out.

Come September, and you still want to tackle the job, having cattle on it is no hinderence to do the hedges. Just ask the farmer renting if it's OK to go do the job.

Check out the land lease agreement. There may be something in there around hedge maintenance. Onus could be on the farmer here, not you, if it's in the agreement. They should also be responsible for the fence as part of the agreement.

Trees don't fall too often. When they do, often times it's easier manage them then. It looks like a single strand of wire which would be repaired in minutes. If a tree falls and knocks the fence, and cattle get out that will be the farmers issue.

MeadowMaker · 23-06-2021 12:24pm

Can you cut gorse bushes or is that not allowed till sept?

Bog Man 1 · 23-06-2021 12:31pm

A mulcher on a track machine would tidy back that overhang . We got a lot done in the last two years and it has improved the thickness of the hedges . I would not take anything off the height just mulch the sides . There will be no clearing up after .

Donald Trump · 23-06-2021 1:19pm

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.

Jaysus. I was expecting the photo to be of briars and furze halfway across the field!

Chisler2 · 23-06-2021 4:42pm

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.

Your concern is that the trees will fall. Without viewing your hedgerow there is no way I can know if your fears are realistic. If you "garland off" the ivy from an easy-to-reach section of the trunk (just a couple of feet will suffice) the ivy above the cut dies off as it is separated from its roots and nurture. Native deciduous trees in old hedgerow are very hardy and long-lived and they die slowly and with dignity. In the interim they shelter your fields and stock, drain the land (you will have an even wetter field if you take them out!!!) and provide food and habitat to bird and wildlife which help keep down pest-depredation. Our old hedges are a gift to the farmer. Unfortunately we are losing them fast.

embraer170 · 23-06-2021 5:27pm

Chisler2 wrote: »

Your concern is that the trees will fall. Without viewing your hedgerow there is no way I can know if your fears are realistic. If you "garland off" the ivy from an easy-to-reach section of the trunk (just a couple of feet will suffice) the ivy above the cut dies off as it is separated from its roots and nurture. Native deciduous trees in old hedgerow are very hardy and long-lived and they die slowly and with dignity. In the interim they shelter your fields and stock, drain the land (you will have an even wetter field if you take them out!!!) and provide food and habitat to bird and wildlife which help keep down pest-depredation. Our old hedges are a gift to the farmer. Unfortunately we are losing them fast.

That’s a message that should be shared far and wide.

tellmeabit · 23-06-2021 5:36pm

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.

I've similar in a few fields, well they would be bigger trees, ash and sycamore. Used be cutting the hanging branches but the tractors are getting taller and the branches are higher up now that have arched out and down. I'm hoping to get a few if them cut with one of those circular saw attachments after silage. Just knock off a few branches for a few years again. And the side along the road is getting dangerously high in case they fall out on to eh road. Will try top them.
Found an amount of broken branches this year in the spring, didn't cut it 1st time round incase bust any machinery. Ate it, picked and rolled.

lukin · 23-06-2021 8:19pm

It's not a matter of aesthetics that I want them cut. Trees/branches that are drooping like that will eventually fall over. I'd prefer that not to happen, it could be like that for weeks and I wouldn't know about it.
They are trimmed at the bottom because that is where the fence wire is and I cut the branches there.
The mulcher seems to be the way to go. Although some of the branches are fairly thick, I hope that machine will be able to mulch them. I'd really need to get whoever is doing it to come and take a look first.
I thought the level of growth was fairly bad in that pic I posted but there are worse ones on that particular hedge.
A few who replies didn't think it was that bad. I'd hate to see their hedges so.

Overhanging trees in fields

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