How to Lay a Hedge
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- In this film by veteran filmaker Quentin Clark, we meet Mike Saynor, an expert in the British countryside. Mike and his team of volunteers show us the process for hedgelaying and how it creates vital habitat shelter to wildlife as well as improving the hedge itself. Once completed it needs no additional fencing, and will remain impenetrable year-round.
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www.hccv.org.uk/
Thank you for this information! I love that the group did it together and looked so happy!
Us too!
Lovely work. The more hedges we restore like this, the more nesting sites there will be for our native species. Win win.
We agree!
Thanks for showing in such detail which bits are important & which can go. That in itself provides absolutely invaluable information.
I've done hedge laying but it was 50 odd years ago , so this has been saved . Good stuff
Glad you liked it!
Lovely work.
What a fantastic video. Please keep up the excellent work to maintain our natural environment.
Lovely video, thank you!
I love this. A living fence, for as long as someone doesnt destroy it. I can assure you that cows have fun with fences and have no issue with testing their stoutness. I longed to put in living fences. One day, again.
I'm going to attempt laying a hedge on my homestead, in Northern Ireland, this Autumn. Never knew what is was until I seen a laid hedge at a canal in Stock-on-Trent 3 years ago. I told myself i'd have to try that some day! . All advice on how to go about it is welcome
Excellent video - thank you.
Great video! Everything I hope to need to know in order to attempt a little patch in our garden. Bite size and like listening to a story ❤
Glad it was helpful!
Brilliant video 😊
Lovely, simple instructions. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
What a great and informative video. Thanks for posting it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a lovely almost lost art
Thanks John. I love your apt description of this being an art. I thought you might like to know that in a few weeks' time we'll be releasing another film from the fabulous Holt Copse volunteers in which they demonstrate how to make a dead hedge and the many benefits this has for wildlife.
I hope you had a fabulous Christmas.
Looks interesting. I've never seen this done on this side of the Atlantic. Any good tree variety?
Hi, thanks for your question. Most UK natural hedgerows can benefit from this type of maintenance. In particular, Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Hazel. Let us know if you have experience of this on 'the other side of the pond' and if different techniques were/are used!
Some good material in this video. But - when working on slope lay uphill - which means progressing down hill. Maybe there was some confusion here? There is a myth that hedges laid downhill will not grow as sap can only travel upwards but ths is not true. However, a hedge laid downhill will be hard to build to a height, tight enough and will look very flat. Tools shown were not sharp enough an dcutting not "clean" as a result. An explanation is needed regarding why we cut as we do to promote new growth from the stool, at the correct height and how this rejuvenates the hedge, as well cutting to keep the pleach (laid stem) alive.
Yes, some confusion with the language used here! We start working at the top of the slope and work our way down. The pleachers are indeed laid uphill. Definitely, there's so much more that could be said about how and why we lay hedges. Maybe a more in-depth follow-up is needed! The volunteers shown here have only been laying hedges for a few years and there's always more to learn 🙂
Will any tree type work?
Interesting that you lay the hedge downhill. Most hedgelayers lay them uphill. Is there any reason for downhill laying?
Some confusion with the language used here! We start working at the top of the slope and work our way down. The pleachers are indeed laid uphill :-)
A great living fence
Exactly, such a lovely thing to see!
"On sloping ground, always work down the slope." Which direction should the top of the tree/plant be laid: uphill or downhill?
You start working at the top of the slope and work your way down. The pleachers are laid up the hill :-)
Yes I was confused, always lay up hill I was taught so the sap works harder encourages vigorous growth.
Why do we not know how to do this anymore? ... especially in America??
Hi Bonnie. Always nice to have a comment from one of our many viewers in the US. In the UK there does seem to be a resurgence of interest in this and other traditional woodland and hedgerow management methods as a means to improve biodiversity. Hopefully that will happen too in the US.
Here in the UK there are regional styles of hedge laying and competitions- is the same true in the US?
The pleachers on this are poorly cut, cuts should be smooth with no ragged edges
I want to try this with vitex (chasteberry). I like the bees and butterflies.