There’s an art to good hedge laying. As with many things, the theory behind laying a hedge is easy; the practice is much harder – requiring skill and experience. The aim is to reduce the thickness of the upright stems of the hedgerow trees by cutting away the wood on one side of the stem and in line with the course of the hedge. This being done, each remaining stem is then laid down towards the horizontal, along the length of the hedge.
Whilst Martin and Dave have a few days spare to tidy up the farm, they set to work cutting out old rubbish such as Ivy and side shoots. A chainsaw, CAT and man power is all that’s needed.
The hedge around most of the farm is over 40 years old and has never been managed except for being trimmed every year. It has grown into tall spindly trees now suffocated by ivy. Every year after heavy winds we find big gaps in the hedge where weakened trees have been blown over.