Advice on very large hedge laying

[dave28]

Have been asked if I'm interested in laying some very overgrown hedge (field maple, ash, elm, quick and black thorn). Some of the maple and ash have got up to around 20 ft and I expect to high prune a leave a few to grow on. Ideally it could do with being cut off and then the regrowth laid but I've seen a bit of this sort of hedge laid very quickly by simply cutting and laying the long lengths and then trimming the sides with a saw. This is nothing like the very fine midland style staked and bound hedges seen in competition work but I know that the customer won't pay for a proper job and it probably would end up getting massacred by the farm staff if the price is too high. It's a very exposed coastal site so guess it will need to be tied in. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

[Johny Walker]

try a d6:001_tongue:

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

You need to speak to Terry Coombe - he's the undisputed man for this and in the right area and everything. Great bloke too.

 

07860 550733.

[THE88MAN]

I do a bit for some farmers where they get a grant for "coppicing" the hedgerow.basically we cut down and burn 80% of it,leave anything that will potentially make a tree,then they plant the gaps with new quicks,i charge them a reasonable winter rate(can't retire on it)and take any wood for my log pile,its a good arrangement.to lay thick hedging properly i would guess you would need to charge about £200 a chain,thats enough to put most landowners off straight away

[Graham]

As said before I reckon the cheapest option is to coppice, plant up the gaps and lay the new growth in 10 years.

[combined tree services]

personally i think that it could look pretty ropey if im honest , depending on the thickness/densitty of the hedge i think i would be inclined to lay the smaller diamiter growth , rermove some of the bigger stuff and possibly selectivly leave some of the Maple ,but i can totally understand that it is totally up to the client at the end of the day but i would try to deter him from laying the whole hedge . Once again this is only my opinion on it .

 

good luck tho and hope all goes well

[Saw-sick Steve]

One thing I would say on past experience - get some help! If laying large stems, you'll need someone to take the weight of the stem as its laid into place.

It's very easy to twist and snap off the stem at the base - with someone to assist, surprisingly large pieces can be successfully laid.

[cousin jack]

One thing I would say on past experience - get some help! If laying large stems, you'll need someone to take the weight of the stem as its laid into place.

It's very easy to twist and snap off the stem at the base - with someone to assist, surprisingly large pieces can be successfully laid.

 

[Charlieh]

I have done a fair bit of work on relect hedges if its large diameter I just recommend coppicing and replanting the gaps and relaying when it gets to a sensible size again, especially if cost is an isue, only issue and you don't say if it needs to be stock proof as if you coppice it will need fencing off, which will put the cost up again

[Quickthorn]

Coppice & gap up would get my vote, but if they insist..

 

..it might be time to invest in a power pole pruner.

 

It's often difficult to control big stems as you lay them in - especially thorn - and what often happens is they'll spin, and that will rip them off the stump. The thing is, once they're down, you'd cut the top out anyway, so you'd be better off cutting the tops off before starting to lay them, just to get some weight out of them, and then tidying them up once they're laid in.

 

The thorn might be quite brittle at the moment, especially if it's old, so you've got more of a chance if left to the end of the season, once the sap starts to rise.