[fleehillfarm]

I have been hedge laying for the first time. The hedge is on a hill so I started at the top and worked downhill laying all the pleachers in an upward direction. Some parts of the hedge do not have sufficient pleachers to cover the gaps laying uphill. Is it the done thing to lay some pleachers in the opposite direction to fill in the gaps if there are too many to lay uphill rather than cut the surplus pleachers out and waste them. Many thanks for any advice.

[SallyintNorth]

I don't know I'm afraid, just replying to get the post back on people's "unread replies" list, hoping someone can help you! 

[doganjo]

I have been hedge laying for the first time. The hedge is on a hill so I started at the top and worked downhill laying all the pleachers in an upward direction. Some parts of the hedge do not have sufficient pleachers to cover the gaps laying uphill. Is it the done thing to lay some pleachers in the opposite direction to fill in the gaps if there are too many to lay uphill rather than cut the surplus pleachers out and waste them. Many thanks for any advice.

I watched either Countryfile or Marcus Wairing last week on this topic - I think they planted new ones in the gaps.  Would pleacher layed the other way not look odd?  I know nothing about hedge laying but perhaps if you can see these programmes they might help - or maybe a youtube video?

[Fleecewife]

It was Marcus Waring, but nothing about laying on a hill.  We layed some hedge a while back but on the level.  Yes, pleachers laid in opposite directions will look a bit funny until they grow, but so what?  It's not a competition, it's your hedge and you can do what you want.
One thing we did discover is that if you plant whips in gaps they don't grow because they are overshadowed by the rest of the hedge, so best to fill in with pleachers.  You could leave some to grow on if they're not tall enough to stretch across.

[mab]

I've had this exact issue and laid downhill, without issue. It probably depends a little on what species you're laying, but generally they grow anyway; certainly sycamore, blackthorn and hawthorn. Even if the odd one dies off it will still form part of the physical barrier whilst the others grow in.


Not much point in comparing with 'showcase' pictures from professionals as they always seem to start with either a regularly maintained hedge or an even row of recently grown saplings, rather than a real-world overgrown hedge with big clumps and gaps that are no longer even growing in line with one another.

[fleehillfarm]

Many thanks for the replies. I couldn't agree more with the last one. Our hedge is all over the place and a lot of the pleachers are just overgrown self seeded hawthorn and blackthorn way out of line of the original hedge.