Chainsaw massacre

[Susie]

Originally Posted by camo

On a related topic, hedge trimming.

I used to be of the opinion that the anual mauling of hedgerows with mechanical tractor operated cutters was horrific. I am now of the opinion that although trimming is often extreme it does allow the hedge to fill out and create dense hedgerows. I also believe that if farmers can not create a stock proof hedge out of natural growth they will replace it with wire which holds no wildlife. So although I continue to be appauled at some of the aggresive work it should be seen as beneficial.

Roy

Agreed that hedges do need to be trimmed and a well looked after hedge can support a large number of plant species as well as insects, birds and mammals but the amount of hedging done at one time and the time of year it is done can be crucial to the well being of certain species.

Mechanical hedge flailing means that a large amount of hedges can be cut in one winter and this all but wipes any brown hairstreak eggs which may be in the area. Only careful hedging and leaving an amount uncut each year will protect the population of this butterfly.

[RobinP]

I was going to start a thread about hedge flailing - a lot of it has been done around here but only on the 'road' side, so I guess it won't cause too much long-term damage.

[camo]

Originally Posted by Susie

Mechanical hedge flailing means that a large amount of hedges can be cut in one winter and this all but wipes any brown hairstreak eggs which may be in the area. Only careful hedging and leaving an amount uncut each year will protect the population of this butterfly.

Hi Susie,

I didn't know particularly about brown hairstreak, however I guess my point was that a trimmed hedge is better than a pig wire fence. I would like to understand more on the cost and benefit of hedge trimming but as a new member am fearful of diverting this particular thread.

Roy

[Susie]

Originally Posted by camo

I guess my point was that a trimmed hedge is better than a pig wire fence.

then we are in agreement

[JoulesH]

I actually find it quite alarming that so many people do not realise that woodlands - and most other habitats - need to be managed! OK this was a specific incident and done for legal reasons rather than for biodiversity but I learned at a very young age by helping our local (then) Nature Conservancy Council Warden out in Wyre Forest that sometimes felling trees, clearing scrub etc is essential for the maintenance of some ecosystems - coppice woodland a prime example; also felling trees to let brambles grow and encourage silver washed fritillaries. So many woodlands are not well managed now and the biodiversity would benefit greatly from more thinning and woodland glade creation.

[JoulesH]

On the hedge trimming note, Natural England have produced a good CD and info pack about hedgerows. Hedges do need trimming to prevent them very rapidly becoming unmanageable; a mature hedge can easily put on 1.5m of growth in a year. Ideally, this should be interspersed with hedgelaying every 50-60 years but unless you can get a grant this is very expensive. We are very proud of the hedges on our farm, some of which are very old, most are species rich and several are Local Wildlife Sites. If you had seen them in January or February (the recommended time for hedgetrimming if possible) you would have been horrified. If there are berry bearing plants eg hawthorn blackthorn in the hedge then it is better if farmers do not trim them every year as this removes the season's growth and the plant will only blossom and produce berry on the second year's growth. Sometimes esp on arable farms the farmer will trim in the autumn so as not to drive on the crops in the winter (and it may be too wet to risk leaving it until Jan Feb) and this will mean that berries are then trimmed off before the birds get them. So many farms are now adopting a 3 year rotation of their hedges DELIBERATELY to benefit wildlife, for example, overwintering insects and to provide the berries, but this means that unless they have a saw attachment on their trimmer (expensive) then when they flail it it makes a mess - partly because it is not a clean cut on thicker 3 year growth and partly because there is more material. It always looks worst on mixed species hedges like ours too. But it is still recommended by Natural England as on balance although it looks awful, and can increase the vulnerability of the hedge to disease, it soon greens up in the spring and it is better for biodiversity so PLEASE don't give us farmers a hard time if you see hedges 'massacred' in the winter - we're doing it like that for all the right reasons and birds and insects in particular are the main beneficiaries.

[camo]

Hi Joules

Clearly hedge trimming can be an emotive subject however I certainly believe trimming to create a stock proof barrier is a better option than a pig wire fence. A well managed hedge will hold a mass of wildlife but clearly the issue is a timing one and there must be a good and bad time to trim. Suzie made a good point with respect to Brown Hairstreak eggs and it was certainly something I did not know. However I suspect the people that are really critical of Farmers are those that dont understand the benefits and are reacting to the extreme sight of a flailed hedge. Roy

[JoulesH]

Best time to trim is late Jan into Feb but this is impractical on many farms esp on heavy land or where crops established. After that, work backwards. The earlier the trim in the autumn, the less berries left for wildlife. Can't trim between 1 Mar and 1 Aug unless for road safety reasons, to protect birds. Certain ag-env schemes the latter date is now 1 Sept. Annual trimming worst for wildlife, but looks nicest as is is very tidy as it is only cutting thin growth. After that, the more years you go, the worse it looks when you cut (with a flail) but normal recommendation is 2-3 years in a rotation so you always have some uncut hedge. If you use a saw attachment on several years growth, it leaves a clean cut but you have the issue of how to deal with the 2-3m long trimmings.

[mdp]

We have a wayleave for pylons in our woodland which gets cut by the national grid every seven years or so. It put us off a bit when we bought the wood, but we've found it's a real bonus, as the habitat there is completely different.

The woodland is sweet chestnut coppice with a bit of birch, and oak standards, but the wayleave has heather, broom, brambles, willow and loads of wildflowers. As a result it's full of insect bird and reptile life.

We've taken advantage of it by coppicing along the edges of footpaths and rides that connect to the wayleave last winter, and already this year we're seeing butterflies 100m in to the wood, where they were not to be seen a year ago. There's various flowers coming up for them to feed on, and the other insects coming in are attracting the birds. We saw an adder there yesterday too, basking in the recently-created patch of sunlight.

Our plan is to coppice the strip at the edge of the paths and rides roughly every three years, to make sure the corridor stays full of sunlight. We think the chestnut will have grown enough in that time to produce some poles we can use at the allotment, so it won't go to waste.

Mike