Farmers who have committed to the hedge planting measure in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) must have it set before the deadline of March 31, 2024.
With this in mind, Adam Brownrigg, the manager of Hedging.ie has shown farmers how a hedge can be set to meet ACRES specifications.
He explained that the hedge is sown in a double row with five plants to the meter, one foot apart in the double row line and 15 inches apart in the straight line.
The video below shows how the hedging is set:
According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Mariner (DAFM), the specifications for setting a hedge are as follows: “The new hedge must consist of at least five plants per metre in a double-staggered row, with a mix of at least three species from the hedgerow species in the list below. No one species must make up more than 85% of the total.
DAFM recommended hedgerow species for planting:
- Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa);
- Dog Rose (Rosa canina);
- Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus);
- Hawthorn/Whitethorn (Crataegus monogyna);
- Hazel (Corylus avellana);
- Holly (Ilex aquifolium);
- Spindle (Euonymous europaeus);
- Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus).
The full specifications for setting an ACRES hedge is available on the DAFM website.
Setting the hedge, Adam said: “Part of the ACRES scheme is to ensure that the plants grow and in doing this you want to keep grass and weeds free from the roots, so the best practice for doing this is to put down your plastic and your stone.
“Also, if you cut back your plants to four inches from the ground at a 45° angle, and when you put the plastic down, the angle will help pierce the plastic.
“To keep the plastic down, all the areas must be covered with stone. If you leave any of the plastic seen the wind will get under it and lift it.”
The hedge in the video is spindle blackthorn, whitethorn and hazel.
For the riparian buffer zone Hedging.ie offers three types of trees: the birch, the alder and the willow. These are all tolerant of wet ground.
Farmers who wish to find out more about the services hedging.ie offers can click on their website.