We started the dead hedge in the nursery in 2020 as a screen between the nursery gardens and our messy work area behind the office. We planned to gradually extend it along the bottom of the area behind the office to screen our messy work area from the farm track. Having installed the first section and a right angled turn to start the next length it then took us five years to get back to it! Other things became a priority such is running a business and life.
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| Maisie in front of the first part of the dead hedge to be constructed in 2020 |
A dead hedge is a fantastic multi-purpose structure, it has many benefits and is really easy to construct, especially if you have a garden that produces lots of woody material.
Lets start with the benefits
~ a very ecological sustainable way to get rid of branches, bits of tree, woody material, no need to burn or traipse them off to the local tip. Its a continual cycle so every year the wood will have decomposed enough to add new material to the top, keeping it topped up and thickened every year. Keeps the waste on site, with no transportation away required and reducing carbon footprint.
~ it has a positive impact on biodiversity and makes a fantastic habitat for our gardening buddies, be they feathered or beasties. Birds nest in ours, roost and it gives them some where to hide from the sparrow hawk. Its also home to many insects and on the ground underneath, somewhere cool for our amphibious friends, mice and I would hope hedgehogs. They can also creates linear roadways for safe movement between green areas for creatures.
~ creates natural boundaries between areas of garden with little disturbance to the soil and environment and a makes very aesthetic natural boundary.
~ as the oldest wood at the bottom breaks down at the bottom, fungi and micro-organisms convert it into nutrients which enriches the soil which is beneficial if you have plants in front or climbers growing up through.
~ low maintenance - unlike living hedges, there is no trimming needing done, just add the new wood on top, push it down and tuck it all in and job done.
~ they make great windbreaks, as they are solid enough to break up the wind and filter it through, slowing it down.
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| The first length of new dead hedge we constructed this autumn |
So how do you create a dead hedge?
A dead hedge is built by hammering a series of sturdy wooden stakes into the ground in two parallel rows, typically spaced about 1.5 to 2 feet apart. The length of the stake depends on the height of dead hedge you want to achieve. We have created two heights. The first is about six feet tall because we wanted to create a screen between our public areas and work areas. The second length of dead hedge is about four feet high as this is more of a demarcation between areas. We also were reusing fence posts we had on site which were shorter so we didn't have to buy any in, recycling again. The depth of the dead hedge can also vary, we have made ours quite narrow as we want to maximize space for plant stock beds so ours are 18 inches wide.
The gap between these stakes is then filled with pruned branches, logs, twigs, and other brushwood. Over time, the material settles, compacting into a dense, protective structure. Every year additional cuttings are added as needed to maintain its height and effectiveness as garden tasks produce material. You can put larger, heavier pieces of wood and logs in higher up to weigh it all down.
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| Creating the next length of dead hedge behind the office |
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| Filling up the new dead hedge before the ends are tucked in |
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| This length is now finished and will be added to at the top every year |
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| Maisie making sure its all up to standard |
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