JaggyHawthorn

Happy New Year all, and many thanks for the reassurance. We're up in Lumphanan, north-east Scotland, and while I'm always happy to give it a go, this is definitely one for a professional. Thanks again for the steer; I'll post the "after" pictures in due course.

We've got a ~60 metre stretch of hedge, predominantly Hawthorn, currently standing about 9 foot in height. Photos of the place from way back confirm that the hedge has a history of over-trimming (until the previous owners took over) and as you can see from the images below, it's a wee bit gappy and bare at ground level as a result, with clusters of fairly thick gnarly-looking trunks. The hedge is otherwise healthy. I gave it a light trim when we moved in 3 years ago, and then left it alone. Sure enough, the May blossom was amazing in the Spring, and it's now lousy with berries, much to the delight of the birdies. Having read up on hedge care (e.g. https://ptes.org/hedgerow/managing-hedgerows-top-tips/) it's now time for the hedge's next haircut. Our neighbour suggested having the hedge laid to fill in the gaps, and the more I've researched it, the more I've warmed to the idea. However, I'm a wee bit concerned that due to the age of the hedge the trunks might not be "juicy" enough to withstand the pleaching process. Should we maybe just fill in the spaces with new trees?