laying hedges late into end of season

[hedgesparrow]

was speaking to a very experianced cutter today and found some information out i did not know. you can lay hedges untill the end of april.

as long as you start cutting before the end of march. and leave it you can still carry on cutting. the only thing you have to do is fill out a form you make up saying what day you started cutting what time and if no birds nesting in hedge. and get cliant to sign it with you this covers you if you are asked and defra become involed.

also some species of hedge maple lay better later in season when sap rising as are not so brittle. so out goes stopping start of march can carry on untill end of april.

thats 8 months to lay hedges leaves 4 months to lay back in the sun. ready for the new season.

[Dorset Hedgelayer]

that sounds great so can extend laying season then just have to squeeze 6-7 months grass work into 4 months right wheres light switch on kubota lol,

Hope Mary's doing ok mate take care both of you

[hedgesparrow]

forgot the grass cutting so i need a light on my ride on. :biggrin:and i was going to bournmouth or weymouth for the summer as a lifeguard.

but when i applied said the speedos did not look good on me.

so its grass cutting.

[Peasgood]

My hedges would definitely have nesting birds in by then.

I have one hedge I would particularly like to lay but never enough time or daylight in winter.

[hedgesparrow]

go and check it see if there are any nests if not. lay just a mtr. and you can then lay rest as long as done by end of april.

just got to do a homemade form date ,time you checked and have a countersign to say it was checked. when you do the rest. just check again.

you are then ok if get asked and covered for defra

[Graham]

I think there is a moral issue involved here apart from the suggested loophole. Does this loophole actually exist? All regulations/recommendations/rules etc specify no cutting after March 1st except under safety/emergency situations.

 

So what happens? I cut a metre, have a handwritten form countersigned and then go back to cut the rest into April. So I'm cutting and fifty metres down the hedge a blacky or a thrush starts building. Do I cut up this point and then leave the hedge until the backend or work around the nest and then finish later?

 

Stop cutting beginning of March and leave the birds to it.

[hedgesparrow]

the information was given to me by the NHLS re if cutting and leave then birds start nesting then it would have to be left. but under DEFRA guidlines hedgelaying is allowed untill end of april unless birds are nesting. if a check is done you can carry on laying. if you then find that part of the hedge you are about to lay has nesting birds then have to pull out and leave untill september.

wiil find the proper information and post on hear as this may be a sticky subject.

[arbmark]

i agree, and after mid march the sap is rising, the shrubs are entering the high energy use spring leaf burst phase so it must hit them quite hard. i layed ash in april once and the bark separated hazard beam-style from the wood on every steeper/pleacher, so we had to stop.

better to start laying again in july i'd have thought?!?!?!?!!?!?

[hedgesparrow]

have checked is ok to lay as long as there are no nesting birds.

re sap rising. if the back of pleach does not crease when laying should be ok. if it creases then yes stop and leave untill september.

but with the winter wehave had i knowa number of cutters are way behind finishing off. so just carrying on to get done.

[phirow]

Hi

Just remember the nesting season starts at different times through the UK.

The RULE is you can lay to the end of April. BUT WALK THE HEDGE YOU ARE GOING TO LAY AND SURVEY IT FOR NEW NESTS if there is a new nest then you must stop this is under an EEC ruling for the disturbance of habbitats