| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| gil |
getting rid of an old hedgeShort of dragging it out by the roots, any suggestions ?I would like to completely replace the beech/hawthorn hedging with rosa rugosa and rosa spinosissima. How do I most easily kill off the old one ? Given that otherwise I will end up with an even more mixed hedge than already. |
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| tahir |
Chop it down to the ground several times a year for a couple of years | ||||
| gil |
Nothing would give me more pleasure 
(in a hedging context) I started doing that last winter, carrying on now, and will intensify cutting over this summer. Yessss ! |
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| judith |
Can you borrow a couple of sheep? | ||||
| gil |
Why ? (once growing season starts, though, sheep not a good thing) |
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| cab |
How big/old is it? | ||||
| judith |
To nibble away the regrowth.
My sheep have satisfactorily killed every tree apart from the conifers in their field. |
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| ken69 |
An easy way, Gill, is to dig a trench, alongside the hedge, fill with water and leave overnight.
Best if you have a strong trench spade, the sort that navvies use. |
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| Cho-ku-ri |
Don't kill it. Lay it, or cut it down and let it regenerate. Hedges are people too. | ||||
| gil |
How deep a trench ? Is this to asphyxiate the roots ?
The hedge could be over 20 years old. Maybe even older. It has been laid (poorly), and is patchy in places. On the other hand, there are sections of it where the beech is turning into small trees. |
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| gil |
I still want a hedge. Just not this one. |
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| cab |
I ask for two reasons. Partly 'cos removing older beech and hawthorn is no fun at all, making Tahirs approach rather more appealing unless you can get some serious machinery involved (even digging a good trench next to it if its really rooty, I can imagine that would be hard work). The other reason is of course because if it is rather older, you may want to make absolutely sure that it isn't in any way either protected or worth saving because of the diversity of species in it... I don't need to tell you that (I'm sure you already know whats there and won't be hacking out an interesting hedge!), but more generally I think its a message worth repeating. |
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| Cho-ku-ri |
In the 'olden days' an old hedge would be cut down to the stumps at ground level, and silt from dredged ditches was heaped up on the stumps and before you knew it the hedge regenerated and will mature much quicker than a transplanted one. BTW a 20 year old hedge is just a baby. | ||||
| gil |
I'm fairly sure this hedge is the doing of the previous owner of this place, so yes, in the hedgey scheme of things it is a young upstart. It never has been (in the last 6 years) a truly hedge-looking hedge. | ||||
| ken69 |
[quote="gil"]How deep a trench ? Is this to asphyxiate the roots ?
This loosens them, Gil The deeper trench the better, a pressure washer or watering can also help to rid the roots of earth, then cantilever the stuff out. As a last resort, tie a rope to the back of the car, and pull. That is the way I removed hedges when doing gardens, could get on with other things whilst water was doing it's job. Actually the last resort is a JCB digger. |
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| Cho-ku-ri |
Hedges need clipping, training and work. I'm sure yours could be 'worked' back into shape. Have you owned it for six years? |
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| Jamanda |
But Gil wants a hedge with different plants in. Ones she can harvest. |
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| gil |
mcompoutERHAsgOnnnnnnnnnnnne Wro | ||||
| sean |
Ahh. That doesn't look very good. | ||||
| Jamanda |
 What happened? Did you spill something on it?
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| gil |
Twas something viral. Sorted now.
To reply to CKR - yes, I have been clipping, training it etc, and it has improved, but it was in a bad state before that - huge gaps, or small trees, and the laid parts had died. However, main reasons for removing existing hedge and replanting are 1. Edible hedge wanted (for humans as well as wildlife). 2. Increasing risk of fireblight transmission from geans to hawthorn hedges to apple trees - was advised to remove by Scottish apple expert. 3. Smaller / thinner/non-spiky hedge needed along edge of veg plots, where there is not enough room for the existing hedge. Have decided to put various different sections in : Rosa spinosissima - got a load of this growing on, ready to move Sloe - along boundary burn Quince where there is more room (field/grass boundary) Fruit trees and rosa rugosa Wicker hurdles as a windbreak beside veg plots |
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| tahir |
A lot of rosaceae (??) are susceptible to a greater or lesser degree to fireblight. If it's a concern I'd avoid them all (and quince, and oak, and...) | ||||
| cab |
That sounds really nice! May I reccomend there is a variety of Japonica called 'Cido' which is meant to be good for hedges. I put some out front last year, they're struggling away in almost complete shade, but they seem to be surviving. Bred up in the baltic for bigger, lemony flavoured fruit. Are you not tempted to put some currant cuttings in there too? |
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| Slim |
Gil, I'm afraid it looks like the authorities have found out about your new hedge: http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/02/27/8172_gold-coast-lead-story.html |