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Dead Hedging
Dead hedging requires the use of brash wood and woody pruning’s to create a decorative and effective hedge to retain livestock and provide refuge for wildlife.
As well as being suitable for livestock and wildlife they are also cheap and easy to build, utilising the materials you have on you land.
Dead hedges offer a safe place for small birds to nest, a structure for wild flowers to climb, shelter for small mammals and snakes and a screen to deter deer and rabbits.
They require two rows of alternating posts spaced 1m apart using preferably chestnut or oak for durability and longevity. The rows are spaced with a 6” to 1ft gap depending on purpose.
6” is enough for a simple screen or for the construction of pig or sheep shelters.
1ft (30cm) is enough to hold back a rhino.
Bear in mind that a dead hedge will require vast amounts of material to construct.
To retain sheep and cattle a 4ft (1.2m) high hedge is the minimum requirement. Pigs can be retained with a 3ft (90cm) high hedge.
A screen for privacy can be made to 6ft (1.8m) using 8ft (2.4m) posts knocked 2ft (60cm) in to the ground.
Collecting Brash
Cut non leafy material from deciduous trees when dormant during winter.
From November to March.
For increased life expectancy use recently pruned material from non pithy, hardwood trees and shrubs.
A mixture of brash from different tree species can look very attractive when layers of different material are created within the hedge.
If brash is of similar consistency and cut to approximately similar lengths the hedge will look neater and will bind together better. When posts are spaced at 1m apart the brash will need to be over 1m in length. To ensure the material has at least the support of one post in the hedge.
Source of brash
Any woody brash material could be used, from any tree or shrub species. However some trees have better quality, tighter knitting material than others, including:
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Blackthorn/Sloe (Prunus spinosa)
Elm, Wych (Ulmus glabra)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Hazel (Corylus avellana)
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Oak (Quercus robur and petraea)
Maple (Acer spp)
Conifers are not desirable as the needle drop will look untidy. For the purposes of farming and practicality they could still be used.
Thorny material knits together better than others and makes for a better livestock deterrent.
Laying brash
Use the largest diameter material you have available for the bottom layers. This will increase the life expectancy of the hedge and will add strength at the point where livestock and wildlife activity is most prevalent.
Take small bunches of material or single large stems and work on one layer at a time. Work in one direction and slightly overlap each bunch or piece of brash. The second layer works in the opposite direction, the bushy end of the brash covers the stemmy end of the previous layer. The third layer switches direction once again and so on and so forth. After laying two layers it is important to tread down to consolidate the material. Tread down after every couple of layers, bearing in mind not to tread so much as to dislodge or bend the posts.
Sprawling twigs from the main hedge can be weaved back into the hedge if they are long enough, all remaining twigs that stick out from the hedge can be removed with a hedge trimmer or secateurs. The ends of the hedge can be trimmed up with loppers or a bow saw.
Maintenance
A dead hedge requires very little maintenance once built. Some natural consolidation will occur as the hedge matures so topping up may be required every 2-3 years.