Reviving the Hedgerow

When I lived in British Columbia I knew very little about hedgerows.  I had a notion what they were.  It seems to me that I've heard them mentioned in old Victorian novels, men in jaunty hats racing across fields on horseback, jumping hedgerows and chasing after foxes.  But I'd never really thought about what it was and why it was.  I certainly never thought I would own one.

The hedgerow in the fall

Running lengthwise from one end of our property to the other is a hedgerow.  It divides our property from the field beyond.  In summer this row is filled with wild raspberry canes and goldenrod discreetly hiding the garbage that has accumulated there over the years.  In winter the plants die to the ground and there is nothing to mark the property line or hide the garbage.  Last spring I began some of the clean up.  Trash bag in hand I hand picked wrappers and plastic pots, pieces of metal and assorted items.  Some things were too large for the garbage.  A pile of tires.  Several metal burning barrels.  An old window.  The biggest shock was finding the sink.

At one time the kitchen in this house must have been renovated.  A new stainless steel sink installed.  But what to do with the old cast iron sink?

Apparently it was too heavy to carry very far.  Can you believe there's not even a chip in it?  We have left it to sit in the garage while we deliberate our own kitchen renovation.  It is possible this sink will see new life again.

Wandering around in the hedgerow got me wondering what other purposes it might be used for.  Were there types of plants best suited to being planted here?  These questions led me to the MacPhail Woods Ecology Forestry Project.  This is a wonderful group that is working to restore natural forests on PEI through education and research.  Their website provides a cornucopia of information including the use and care of hedgerows.  Years ago hedgerows used to divide farmers fields, providing shelter to livestock grazing in those fields and providing wind protection for crops in the fields and homes.  However most hedgerows were torn out so that large farm machinery could manuevre into the fields or as in the case of our own hedgerow they were simply neglected and the trees and shrubs began to die off.  The loss of a hedgerow means that snow and dirt are easily swept up in winds and blown away.  It also means the loss of wildlife habitat.  Foxes, coyotes and rabbits use these small corridors to provide cover as they move across the land.  It also provides homes and food to rodents and birds.

Once I realized the usefulness of having a hedgerow I began looking at ours with a critical eye.  The perennials that thrive there in summer don't provide any wind break in winter.  There is some shelter for animals in summer but shrubs providing shelter and food all year round would be preferable.

Last week we have finally started work on revitalizing this piece of our land.  From the garage to our neighbours property line there are numerous dead and dying shrubs eeking out a meagre existence in the hedgerow.  I inspected them last spring and found this.

These black sooty balls are called, aptly, Black Knot disease.  It a fungus that attacks plants in the Prunus genus.  Prunus species include cherry, almond and plum trees.  It spreads by spores that catch a ride in the falling rain and on the wind.  This fungus will kill a tree if left for long enough.  That is what has happened here as fully 75% of the trees were dead and the others well on their way.  The only way to be rid of this disease is to burn the offending wood and not plant anything of the Prunus variety in the area.  Two weekends now we have spent clipping, chopping, sawing and then burning.

The row of plum trees to be cut down

Starting work cutting the trees down

Then we walked through hand picking pieces of broken branches off the ground and adding these to the fire.

Half the hedge cut and burning at this point

Next I will be raking the area and bagging the contents for garbage.  It's a large task but thus far it's going along quite well.

All the trees are down with one last pile to burn. 

The final step will be to visit the MacPhail Woods nursery which opens April 28, 2011.  I have plans to purchase various native trees and shrubs so we can get to work rebuilding this hedgerow.