TREE PLANTING
From a garden hedge to the creation of a new woodland, we can advise, supply and plant good quality native hedging mixes and trees to suit any location.
As with a fence, you need to ask yourself ‘what do I want from this hedge or tree planting scheme?’ If you want privacy, then you might want to plant an evergreen hedge ie. they keep their leaves on all year round, such as laurel or conifers. Or semi-evergreen such as hornbeam or beech where the leaves turn brown, but the trees hold onto them. Is it to provide a spiky stock-proof barrier around a field or garden? A native mixed hedge with blackthorn and hawthorn proves very effective and can be mixed with other traditional hedgerow trees to provide extra colour, berries or fruits. You can also plant this type of mixed hedge without the spiky species, which makes it easier to cut. The mixed hedge as opposed to the more formal single species hedge, will also be more wildlife friendly, providing food, nectar and nesting sites for mammals and invertebrates.
With trees and hedges you need to take into account the site location, ie. exposed or sheltered, wet or dry, sunny or shady and choose the species that are best suited to the site and also to the soil type. If you want a clue as to which species do best on your soil type, then look around at the hedges in your area and see which trees are growing there.
Silver Birches and Alder
Hedging in year 2
Taller hedge
Young Hornbeam hedge
Another consideration when planting trees is how big they will get and how quickly they will grow. In tree planting schemes the trees are grown quite close together (3m apart is standard) in order that they grow quickly as they compete for light and thus produce straight stems rather than bushes.
Consideration must also be given to the protection of young trees from grazing animals such as rabbits, hares and deer. The protection comes in two forms, either individual protection such as rabbit sleeves and tubex tree shelters or rabbit and deer fencing that protects the whole area or planting strip.
Let’s face it, a hedge is the most ecologically sound fence that you can get!
Mixed planting
Hedging in year five
Hazels
