Hedgerow Planting and Management-

Beneficial for Bio-diversity and compatible for farmers or landowners looking for Countryside Stewardship or Sustainable Farming Incentives, Native Foraging Hedgerows are a style of hedge that aligns perfectly with DEFRA's management requirements. Whether you are a gardener or a farmer, we can expertly plant these hedgerows, including them within your kitchen garden or farm.

Our specially selected mixture of hedgerow plants will provide a varied annual crop of nuts, hips and berries suitable for making jams, syrups and sloe gins! These plants will in time entwine together to make a dense hedge that is both stock proof and will support a wide variety of wildlife. We make sure we take into account all the important factors when choosing its species makeup and location, to be of most benefit to your kitchen garden or farm. We make sure we take into account all the important factors when choosing its species makeup and location, to be of most benefit to your kitchen garden or farm. 

Native Edible Foraging hedging can be maintained at any height from 120cm up to several metres. They are best trimmed ideally in winter, but can be left longer according to DEFRA's ELM requirements, if seeking CS or SFI grants (Taking care to leave some stems for blossom and then of the berries/fruits for yourself and wildlife.

Benefits of Native Foraging Hedgerows;

• Protection, food and breeding sites for wildlife and encourage Bio-diversity. In fact, 130 of the wildlife species listed as priorities under the government’s Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) live and thrive in hedgerows.
• Fruit, nut, Berry and Rose-hip crops. 
• Provide weather protection to your kitchen garden, meadows, footpaths, poly-tunnels or even compost heaps or windrows.
• Can be a sustainably managed form of future Wood fuel or Woodchip supply, depending on tree types included.
• Provide ground stability against soil erosion.
• Increase surrounding soil mycorrhizal, fungal and nutrient content. Nitrogen fixing trees, like Alder, could be included if desired.
• Can be included within livestock perimeters.