Hedge Laying Course - Day 1
Horwood Farm, Wickwar
Join us and learn the traditional art of hedge laying over 2 days - we'll cover preparing the hedge for laying, pleaching cuts, then finishing with stakes and binders.
A laid hedge is a complex marvel! Its structure absorbs the wind’s energy, and creates an unparalled microclimate with lots of woody material, for sheltering and nesting wildlife.
The hedgerow plants also burst into leaf, flower and fruit – providing food for pollinators such as bees, hoverflies and butterflies. The role of these pollinators in growing the crops for food we then put on the table is massively important.
You will learn how to:
-Prepare the hedgerow for laying
-Turning the hedgerow plants into pleachers
-Using stakes and binders to finish the hedgerow
-Links to other traditional management techniques, in particular, coppicing
-Different regional styles of hedgerow (we teach ‘midland’ or ‘bullock’ style to provide boundaries for larger livestock, but also lay hedges in the ‘Somerset’, ‘Devon’ or ‘Dorset’ styles
-Tool sharpening and maintenance
The day will start at 9:30 and end before 4, there will be parking at the farm and more details about this will be sent before the training.
