Hedge with Feral Apples

This apple tree we think probably sprung from a pip from somebody’s thrown away core. It tastes too sweet to be a crab apple, despite the diminutive size of its fruits. From the fields all around the clockwork wind up calls of overwintering Red-wings and Fieldfares reminded us that there’s still time for  cold spells in the next few months. In which case the bletted apples will be a welcome feast. For the meantime the tree frames the work party of the day.


The second length of hedge goes in!


This time last year the Volunteers at Dubwath Silver Meadow Reserve, under our gallant and hard-working Chairman Rick pulled down some funding to plant a new hedge on the perimeter of the reserve, bordering the road. This was to add biodiversity, provide shelter for birds and wildlife, prevent people from parking on the wide grass verge and to add to the total hedge miles nationally, so depleted over the last 50 years.
As the verge is council property Rick had to spend some time negotiating permission. Fencing, to protect the young hedge from trampling, cars and deer, was the biggest outlay, so funding for a contractor was applied for and approved from the Lakeland Trust. The Woodland Trust provided free whips and our Volunteer group gave up the morning to plant. Downy birch, grey willow, hazel, hawthorn and a few holly plugs were in the buckets.


This is how you plant a hedge:
·        Set up two lines of string to mark the double line of the hedge.
·        Whips need to be 40 cm apart along the lines, and if possible staggered.
·        Plunge spade into ground and work back and forth to create a gap.
Take time to soothe the jarred joints and sore foot as the spade blade hits concrete, rubble, buried rubbish. 


The whips have a plug about 10cm long full of roots This needs to be slithered into the gap the spade has left and then tramped well down .
·        Watering – the rain set in to order, just after we had finished .
Mark, our ecology advisor took the left over whips to replenish last year’s plants, as the 6 week drought in summer killed about 30 % . It would have been more if Mark had not come down and watered them by hand!