What are the 'do's and avoid's' during hedge cutting season?
With the beginning of hedge-cutting season today (September 1), Hedgerows Ireland is calling for farmers to "mix it up" when cutting hedges and ditches.
In intensively managed farmland, hedges and ditches are where most wildlife lives. According to Hedgerows Ireland, research shows that the best results for wildlife richness are achieved if there is a range of different hedge sizes and shapes in the landscape.
This is because different birds, mammals, insects and plants have varying requirements and life cycles.
The group believes that if all hedges in any one locality are cut to the same pattern and at the same time every year, it will greatly decrease biodiversity.
It also said that it is better for shelter and carbon storage to allow more growth than has been traditional practice in recent years. For this reason it's good to have a hedge management plan for your farm.
Hedgerows Ireland has outlined a list of 'do's and avoid's' for farmers cutting hedges in the weeks ahead.
Firstly, it is advising, for some hedges, to cut annually to an 'A' shape with a wide base, to allow sunlight in to thicken the growth. This will also increase the cutting height by about 10cm each year.
The group believes this practice is good for hedge health, and prevents hedges from deteriorating through repeat cutting at the growth point.
Leaving intermittent bushes to grow into trees will allow berries to grow, as well as providing necessary perches for birds.
Secondly, farmers should try leaving some hedges uncut, or side cut only, for up to three years on a rotation.
Hedgerows Ireland said that this will allow flowers, fruit, berries, and nuts to grow with huge benefit to wildlife.
Farmers should also allow hedges to mature into a tree line where extra height is of benefit, and should leave "old and ancient" hedges uncut, or side trimmed only, due to their huge biodiversity and heritage value.
Roadside hedges will require annual cutting on the side facing the roadway, while "gappy" hedges can be rejuvenated by coppicing and replanting the gaps, or by hedge laying.
The group indicated that these are quite "drastic" measures, especially coppicing, and no more than 5% of hedges on a farm should be dealt with in this way, in any one year.
Finally, where possible, farmers should leave a margin of uncultivated land alongside the hedge for wild flowers and grasses.
In the 'avoid' category, Hedgerows Ireland said that farmers should avoid mulching heads for hedge maintenance.
It said that these are destructive to hedge structure and health, and can rebuild mature productive hedges to pulp with consequent loss of wildlife and carbon storage.
Farmers should also try to avoid fertiliser and pesticide drift, as both are damaging to hedge health, apart from being wasteful of resources.
Finally, farmers should ideally delay some hedge cutting from the autumn until later in the winter, to allow wildlife to feed on berries and nuts through the hungry months.
