The message
from James Fidell contains these words:
In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades wrote:

I used to be a smallholder, but I'm a bit bigger now.....

This is really the place to ask any questions.

I'm assuming it's not *really* the right place if the question relates
to animals. Not unless it's about stopping cats crapping in your
garden, anyhow

Well, a lot of animal-related questions could be put in
uk.business.agriculture - they're a helpful lot.

However, many Urglers keep or have kept livestock.

Why do you want to lay a hedge? (I have my reasons for asking...)

Some of the property we're buying has some overgrown traditional hedges.

My advice would be that wherever possible you cut them to an 'A' form,
as this affords the best habitat for the largest number of species.

It would be nice to remake those if at all possible. I'd also like to
disguise some of the stockproof fencing around the rest of the land with
traditional hedges wherever possible -- perhaps even completely replace
it if I can do a good enough job.

I approve of hedges - I had getting along for a mile of them on my 24
acre holding. You might like to consider the East Anglian tradition of
planting fruit trees at intervals along the hedges.

laying a hedge should make it stockproof, but goats (especially) will
kill it by eating it and barking it. Sheep are only a little better.

To do a really good job on laying takes many years. Properly done, the
hedge is cut down and allowed to regrow, and the one and two-year shoots
(where necessary) have a V of less than 90° cut out of the half of the
stem on the side you intend laying to, so that you can close the cut
right up.

| | ________
| / /
| \ | \-------
| | | |

Some uprights are left to weave the horizontals through, and these are
later dealt with the same way and are tied in to cap the hedge.

HTH

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/