The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: buca on May 30, 2017, 07:11:34 am
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Hello, good morning.....
We have a large field subdivided into 6 small holdings all with agricultural use. The boundaries have been marked with stock fencing which is all well and good. Our neighbour who owns both the plot to the north and that to the south though has decided that he wants to change this and is adding a secondary "fence" of hazel to the south of us and one of laurel and bamboo to the north.
Are there any regulations on what can and can't be grown as hedging?
Thanks in advance
Adam.
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Unless he plants poisonous plants I wouldn't worry too much as your animals will trim the hedge back. Your neighbours should plant his hedge far enough away from your fence to protect his investment.
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It's only one row of plants and they are about 5 inches from the fence..... in a 3 acre plot
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I thought Laurel was poisonous.... :-\
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You need to avoid Laurel, if stock eat too much of it it is poisonous.
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Yes, laurel killed one of our sheep.
I would say it's very un-neighbourly to plant so close to the fence. Two - 3 feet away would be reasonable. Depending on the species of bamboo, it could soon invade your plot, and the hazel will definitely hang over the fence.
I love hazel, which would provide you with nuts, but what a shame he's not taking this opportunity to grow a mixed native hedge for wildlife as well as screening.
One upside of the hedges/screen, is that they will provide you with a bit of biosecurity. He will need to double fence the hedge, so his own animals don't demolish the hedge before it's grown, and this will prevent nose-to-nose contact between your livestock and his - all without you having to do a thing.
I believe he can plant whatever he wants, but a friendly discussion about the laurel and bamboo is in order. Perhaps he doesn't know that laurel is poisonous.
One plant which can be grown as a hedge, is pretty, cheap and impenetrable, plus not poisonous to stock, is Rosa Rugosa. It flowers in summer and provides huge hips in autumn for wild birds and poultry. Maybe suggest that to him.
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stock will probably eat the bamboo and hazel, and push the fence down to get to it. Presume he would complain then?
Much more concerned about Laurel. deadly poisonous.
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your neighbours efforts are going to be eaten. they will need to either move the plants or provide cable ties and poulty netting
or if you want to keep in with your neighbours buy some poultry netting for 20 quid for 100m and 4 quids worth of cable ties and spend an hour - job done.
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stock will probably eat the bamboo and hazel, and push the fence down to get to it. Presume he would complain then?
Much more concerned about Laurel. deadly poisonous.
Ask him to plant holly instead of laurel? Good for wildlife as well.
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He's only interested in getting the covenant changed and buying the other lots he doesn't already own. He's tried to put our land up for building as part pf the local plan. The only reason he's planting bamboo is to annoy us.. Just wondered if there was any type of plants than cannot be planted as hedging on agricultural land?
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Hazel 6 inches the other side of a wire stock fence does not stand a chance- sheep will put heads thro and nibble it down to ground level every spring until it dies.
Write to him re the laurel then if your stock dies and a vets PM says it was laurel poisoning then take him thro the courts.
Don't know about bamboo but i expect a goat or two would keep it under control.
Regen
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He's only interested in getting the covenant changed and buying the other lots he doesn't already own. He's tried to put our land up for building as part pf the local plan. The only reason he's planting bamboo is to annoy us.. Just wondered if there was any type of plants than cannot be planted as hedging on agricultural land?
If possible I would get advice re laurel, if it's classed as agricultural use try asking defra for advice?