Lower House Farm
Hedgerow Creation
TOTAL HABITAT
180 Sqm
TOTAL COST
£417.60
COST PER Sqm
£2.32
About
Hedgerows are incredibly valuable to nature. They offer shelter and sustenance to pollinators, birds and other wildlife but also have benefits below ground; the root structure helps reduce soil compaction and lessen the amount of surface water run-off.
Meanwhile for farmers, they offer shelter for crops and livestock, helping to create a microclimate. They also act as fantastic barriers helping stop the spread of disease between flocks of sheep.
Our Work
The team planted 450 whips in this 90m stretch. We used a mix of 4 different species: hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and dog-rose.
For most of the whips we used spirals and guards to protect the saplings from rabbits and other hungry mouths. However, we have also created a trial plot where we have planted 60 saplings without cards or canes. We want to measure our success rate and see if it is possible to create new hedgerows without using plastic. The rabbit population isn’t too bad in this area so fingers crossed!
