[Poolfield2]

Howdy folks, I don't often venture in here but I need to pick some brains.

We live on an exposed hillside in Gloucestershire at 230m and to protect a fruit and veg garden I have planted a hornbeam hedge and outside that an L shape of silver birch trees. The hedge is doing fine but the trees are dying after only 6 years.

What could I plant to slow the gales down? It mustn't have too dense a canopy or grow too tall and preferably not prickly as I have to mow close to the trees and don't want to be lacerated.

In my dreams I would have loved a walled garden but in the real world, I can afford hedge plants and trees that come as 40 - 60 cm "twigs" and then I need patience

[Goosegirl]

I have the same problem as I live on reclaimed mossland which is on the flat and about 1/2 mile from the sea so I have salt-laden winds to cope with too. I have an old sycamore tree which helps but it would grow too big and has too dense a canopy for you. There are other Acers which you could plant which are not as vigorous. We planted a hawthorn hedge like the farmers round here have, which is trimmed 3 times a year and that helps a lot so one or two of those might be good. Scot's pine will grow tall eventually over many years but can cope with winds (seen them in Cornwall). I would also suggest willows as they grow tall enough for shelter but are not a dense tree and come in many heights and bark colour but they need adequate moisture to flourish. Sorbus (Mountain Ash) are also a good choice and there are many varieties with different coloured berries and shapes. As for buying "twigs" have a look at a copy of, say, Gardeners' World as they have adverts which include lists of trees supplied as twigs and should be comparatively cheap. Your choice will depend on your soil type and available sun or shade too.

[sunshineband]

Mixed native hedging would be good.

Try Hope Nurseries for excellent prices on bundles 

[Rangerkris]

I would plant a mixture of Hawthorn,Hazel,Blackthorn and maybe some Dogwood in there as well, Then if you wanted to lay it in later years it would also be great for that.  Great for wildlife get the fruit from the Hazel and Blackthorn in years to come. 

The thorns are not to bad on the outer branch's of theres tree's for when your mowing. 

[Poolfield2]

Thanks for your replies, the fruit and veg garden is set within an old paddock and we have already planted a mixed hedge around its perimeter, the hedge is 50% hawthorn and the rest is a good mix with many wild roses.

I had thought of Mountain Ash as they have done well elsewhere in the garden, so I think I may well go with a mix of varieties of them.

[Roll Roll]

How about copper beech to give you some winter protection as well??

[Poolfield2]

That's a good idea, I love copper beech, I'll have to set them back a long way though or they will cast too much shade and take too much water from the fruit and veg.

[gillie]

I am puzzled.  You originally said your hedge was hornbeam and then that it was a mixed native species hedge.  Do you already have two barriers? 

We have a hornbeam hedge, now about ten feet  high and it is excellent, but needs cutting twice a year.  Further out, at the other side of a small paddock we have a mixed native species hedge, about eight feet high interplanted with a few standard trees including walnuts and whitebeam.  We have also planted some evergreen holm oaks, to shelter greenhousesm, which are also good but get very large.  However you need something pretty large to slow down a gale. 

The various barriers seem to have worked as we no longer have winter gales howling round the house.

We cannot grow birches either, I suspect the soil is not acid enough.

Cheers,

Gillie

[Poolfield2]

Oh Gillie I'm not very good at explaining. Here goes.

 We have a field of about 1.5 acres, around the perimeter we have planted bloomin' 100s of mixed hedging which is 50% hawthorn. Within that 1.5 acres is a smaller area which is for growing fruit and veg and around that is an L shape of sickly birches and on the leeside of those is the hornbeam hedge to enclose the fruit and veg garden.

Wish I could draw a diagram but I wouldn't manage to post even if I could draw it

[gillie]

I get you (I think).  So you want to replace the birches, or at least interplant them, with something.

I am going to vote for at least some holm oaks.  They grow pretty big if allowed to, but can be cut back anyway you please.  In a really dreadful winter they might get defoliated but they bounce back.  Ours were totally unaffected last winter.

Cheers,

Gillie

[Poolfield2]

Thanks for that, I'll have a look and see whether they would work here.