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Bringing hedgerows back: Practical approaches from Scotland’s nature-friendly farmers

Scotland
Farm Practices
Hedgerows
agroforestry

Across Scotland, nature-friendly farmers are reintroducing hedgerows to their fields. The result? Healthier soils, more wildlife, and farms that are better equipped to face the future.

Hedgerows are a rarer sight across Scotland’s farmed landscape than in England. Yet five NFFN Scotland farmers – Denise Walton, Deborah Richardson-Webb, Anna Lamotte, Phil Knott and Rachael Cratchley – are working to change that, sharing here how and why they’re bringing more hedges back into Scotland’s fields.

The basics - Hedgerows in Scotland

As NFFN Scotland Chair Denise Walton explains, hedgerows are a relatively recent feature in much of Scotland. The country’s farmland was never enclosed to the same extent as England’s, leaving large areas open and hedge-free. On her own farm in Berwickshire, only a single hedgerow ran through the centre of the site when she first arrived.

Interest in hedgerows is now growing again, as more farmers recognise their value for both nature and farming. Across the Highlands and Islands, Phil Knott, NFFN Scotland’s Vice Chair and owner of Wildlife Croft on Skye, says the shift has been striking. “Ten years ago I would have said hedgerows were not seen as part of crofting,” he explains. “Now, there is recognition that most crofts could benefit from having hedges.”

How do you plant and lay hedgerows?

Planting
NFFN Scotland farmers recommend planting mixed hedgerows, as a variety of species boosts biodiversity and resilience. On her Berwickshire farm, Denise includes nine tree species in her hedges, with hawthorn and blackthorn forming the backbone.

Laying
Creating a good hedgerow starts with planting – but laying is what keeps it healthy and wildlife-rich. Laying means partially cutting and bending the hedge’s stems so they grow thick and interwoven, rather than becoming a loose line of trees. The result is a dense, living barrier that shelters small mammals and invertebrates. Laying also helps to rejuvenate and strengthen the hedgerow.

Once the hedge is around ten years old, it’s ready to be laid. Traditional hedge laying involves cutting and weaving the stems together with stakes and binders. However, Denise encourages a more practical approach for busy farmers – conservation hedge laying. “If we want farmers to plant and then manage hedges, it has to be inexpensive and easy to do,” she says.

This gentler technique maintains the hedge’s canopy as it’s laid, providing instant cover and habitat for wildlife. It’s best done in winter, starting at the lowest point of the land and working upwards. Each stem is cut about 15 cm (ard 6 inches) from the ground and bent over to form a woven line. Machinery can help apply the pressure needed to knit branches together.  

Hedgerows might seem daunting at first, but the majority of the work happens outside the busiest times of year. You’re really looking at two main periods of time investment - planting and laying - and they’re 10 years apart. For everything you get in return, that’s quite manageable.

Anna Lamotte

Ongoing care
To suppress weeds, farmers can mulch around new plants. When hedges are established, trimming should wait until after laying. At that point, shape them into a gentle A rather than cutting flat across the top. Cutting sections on a four or five-year rotation keeps them vibrant.

What are the benefits of laying hedgerows?

Hedgerows support life at every level. As Rachael Cratchley, a Perthshire dairy farmer and NFFN Scotland Steering Group member explains: “The biggest benefit for wildlife comes from creating density at the bottom of the hedge. The bugs and insects all live at the bottom of the hedge, though you also get birds sitting on top of it.”

A mix of species enhances these benefits. Deborah Richardson-Webb from The Lint Mill in Lanarkshire has planted hazel to add diversity - and a potential harvest. “Although it’s a race with the birds to get the nuts,” she admits. Denise, meanwhile, includes willow in her Peelham Farm hedges for its natural medicinal properties for livestock. Thick hedgerows (2-3m/6-10 ft wide) can even help limit the spread of airborne diseases affecting livestock and crops.

As the climate warms, hedges also provide vital protection from extreme weather. They shade soil and extend grass growth in summer, provide shelter from wind and rain, and help prevent erosion and flooding by slowing water run-off. Leaf litter also enriches the soil beneath.

For Phil on Skye, shelter is one of the greatest advantages. With crofts often on exposed ground getting 90mph winds fairly regularly, hedgerows can give much needed protection for both crops and livestock.

What are the challenges?

For livestock and mixed farms, cost is often the first hurdle. While funding is available through Scottish Government capital grants and various environmental schemes, the expense still adds up.

As Deborah explains: “We’ve got native breed livestock and goats. We want to do in-field planting as well as around the perimeter, but there’s no point doing anything without fencing as their smaller muzzles will just get to the saplings. We also use spiky cactus guards around the plants, which have to come off once the plants are established.”

Spacing is another consideration. Anna Lamotte, who owns Guardswell Farm in Perthshire, recommends leaving at least 2.5m (ard 8 ft) between fences so that essential maintenance - such as removing vole guards - remains manageable. Both Anna and Denise also protect young hedges from deer, wrapping saplings in rabbit netting.

Location matters too. Phil points out that hedges aren’t suitable everywhere. “For crofters in open areas with ground-nesting birds such as corncrakes or lapwings, hedges can give predators like crows or foxes hunting cover.”

And then there’s the labour. Keeping weeds at bay can be time-consuming, says Deborah:  “Our most successful hedges are the ones where we get in and tear the weeds out to keep a decent margin around them. But once they take, they need almost no maintenance at all. It’s getting them established that is time-consuming.”

Give planting hedgerows a go

For NFFN Scotland farmers, however, the rewards of hedgerows - for livestock, crops, wildlife and the wider farm business - far outweigh the effort and cost involved.

“Hedgerows might seem daunting at first,” says Anna, “but the majority of the work happens outside the busiest times of year, and the biggest jobs only come round once in a generation. You’re really looking at two main periods of time investment - planting and laying - and they’re 10 years apart. For everything you get in return, that’s quite manageable.”

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