[Closed] Planting a long hedge - will I die?

Planting shouldn't be too great a chore, space in, open slit up, pop in cutting, stamp to close. Do the post need to come out? If attached to big ball of concrete, probably or you will get gaps in the hedge. If not cut them off at ground level with a 9" grinder.

You could remove one of the posts completely and see how much a ball ache it is, then decide if it's worth it or just cut them off a fraction below ground level. Maybe at least get a quote or two for complete removal by others??

I guess the only issue with leaving some post/concrete in the ground would be plant spacing at those points

Can’t reallt help but well done for choosing a boundary which is friendly for hedgehog movement around gardens   (Which is desperately needed) and will be a home for countless types of wildlife. Which fences aren’t.

I’m planting a hedge soon so wish me luck too!

do you have access to a vehicle with a winch?

Thanks for the replies. I had to remove a few concrete posts on the other side of the garden and even with a Kango it was pretty slow going. Not looking to repeat. Cutting off would certainly be easier - as you say gaps may be the only issue if the concrete balls are large. If I went for a double row of plants might be able to offset.

Wonder whether a 9" angle grinder is up to the job on the posts? One way to find out I suppose.

Good to hear that digging in 250 plants might not be as bad as I imagine. Some of the soil might need improvement though - bottom of the garden is clay.

<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12px; background-color: #eeeeee;">do you have access to a vehicle with a winch?</span>

Nice thought but no I don't - no vehicular access either.

Beech and hornbeam are great. If you can then try and add a few more species as that will be even better for biodiversity. Looks more natural too.

As for the work, taking out the old posts is a pain of a job. Hard work but probably satisfying though. Planting shouldn't be too tricky.

We planted a mixture of hornbeam and hawthorn (providing blossom and berries) 14 months ago.
Our concrete posts are staying for the time being as we'll only take the the fence panels out when the hedge has bushed up a bit.
Neighbour said use an angle grinder when the time comes.

Planting wasn't too bad. Dug hole, popped in some well rotted compost, pushed in planted, soil back on top, bit of stamping with boot, then well water.

You can buy post puller machines, so should be able to hire one, it's just a steel frame on wheels with a hi-lift jack and a bit of chain.

You could make an timber A frame, and use a tirfor or chain block to get a vertical pull on the post. Take the winch to the base of the next post.

Last option is to make a A frame with a long lever all out of timber, again to get a vertical pull upon the post.

Have a search on Youtube for homemade stump puller for some more ideas.

<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12px; background-color: #eeeeee;">, then well water.</span>

Probably easier with a hose pipe . 😉

http://www.postpullers.co.uk/

I'd never heard of Postpullers but got to say they look like the nutz. Will get a quote to hire.

Mixing up the trees seems like a nice idea

Do you need the hedge to act as ‘security’? If so then get something nice and spiky

Copper beech is lovely and gives colour/screen all year - doesn't grow wildly either so easy to look after.

Re the concrete posts, I removed a two or three from an old hedgeline of ours and have a couple of points:
1) They're pretty damn heavy (about 80kg with the lump at the bottom)
2) They will not want to come out (I had a big 4wd tractor at the time and used that)
3) If you pull them out sideways they'll break but have steel reinforcing bars up through them so they'll stay together
4) Pulling them upwards sound like a good idea but I bet there's nothing to attach a puller/rope/strap to.
5) Cutting them off will look shit and not be easy as you'd have thought.

Edit: That post puller looks like it would defo help.

Oh and when planting the new hedge make sure you plant in a zig-zag to give the hedge some thickness otherwise it will also look crap - so...

-x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x-

Regarding the posts, if they have been concreted in too, do they need to come out? They will eventually be hidden and may be a useful reference point for any future boundary disputes. Location dependent, plugs will benefit from a little shelter, whips are best in the open to adapt, so base what you do with the panels on that, take them out either this year or next.

Check your planting calculations, if you don't want a thin looking hedge, two rows 1' apart, stagger the planting in the rows and put a tree every 50cm per row (so visually every 25cm with 2 rows).
Would also recommend a little species mixing, but I guess it depends on your aesthetic requirement of the hedge and how you plan to maintain it.

Plugs are really easy as <12 months, just dab a hole with a fat stick and fill, whips >12 months a little more work with a spade, but better success rates. Either way, 1000 before lunch is the usual target, hedge planting is easy easier than restocking clear fell.

Above is based on agri' hedge planting though, so feel free to ignore.

Hornbeam is great for clay. Mix a few native app in and see how you get on. May have to replace a few where you get gaps over the next few yrs.

if using bare roots make sure you don't let the fine roots dry out or handle them roughly.

ref getting the posts out -  a hi lift farm jack and a rope choker prussiked around the base of the post might do it. that will grab the post enough not to slip and the hi lift will pull them up and out if you can get the jack next to the post (depend how much concrete/ how big the concrete ball is).

good advice on spacing from timber and shark bait. staggered rows best.

make sure you keep the weeds down around the trees - mulch or even use some landscape fabric and plant through that (very French method - they all do this) keeping on top of the weeds will help the trees establish and fly up. it makes a massive difference. careful of using glyphosate when the trees are in leaf in case of mist/ drift.

We have a lovely beach hedge, looks great. I’d read up on the different varieties as they come in different colours, you could try alternating them.

Ours keeps hold of it’s leaves throughout the winter, maintaining cover for the birds, and a modicum of privacy from the neighbour we don’t like! The dead leaves drop in spring when the new growth starts. Left to its own devives it would probably gain a foot a year.

Pulling post vertically is way easier than any sideways pull, once jury rigged two 2x4’s about 8 feet long and a rope whipping over a wide log stump and easily removed some posts without much effort.

We planted a hornbeam hedge a few years ago. Looks great now, and stays relatively thick in winter too giving some good enclosure to the boundary. The planting was a joy tbh. The fence part will be a ballache, but it will be worth it.

Depending what you go for, when they’re mature get yourself on a hedge laying course

[IMG] [/IMG]

[IMG] [/IMG]

I took out 38 meters of Leylandii and replaced with Hornbeam.

Didn't need to dig the ground as taking the rootballs out disturbed everything.

Used weed screen to cover the ground then planted through a double row of Hornbeam approx 160 total. Used Buckingham Nurseries for bare root supply and used whatever they recommend for root growth and took about a day and a half to plant.

Planting is easy its just the preparation and weather window.

Curiously I have just had a new Yew hedge fail over the winter and going to replant with Purple Beech once the thick heavy clay drys out enough to walk on.

I plant an average of 1000 hedgerow plants each year. It's not such a big job. I have made a special spade for the job mind that helps a bit. Reminds me I need to get on and get this years plants delivered.

Bare roots are fine, if you can't get them in straight away then dig a shallow trench and lay them flat on the ground with roots in trench and cover with soil. Be fine. Have reused plants like this 12 months later!

All sounds encouraging - just had a chat with neighbour and they are onboard.

Will look into mixing plants, 25cm offset spacing.

Just need to decide if I'm going to pull the posts or try and cut them down instead.