Tipperary Dairy Farmer, John Fogarty discusses the management of hedgerows on his farm.
In spring, Bees and other pollinators need to feed on the pollen and nectar produced by the hedgerow’s wild flowering plants, such as the Maybush or Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Willow and dandelions.
In late summer and autumn, the hedgerow’s Bramble and Ivy provide vital food for queen Bumblebees that must fatten up to hibernate over winter.
Tips on managing a pollinator-friendly hedgerow
► Leave at least one mature Whitethorn/Blackthorn tree within each hedgerow.
► Where possible, cut hedgerows on a 3-year cycle. Cutting annually stops the hedgerow flowering and fruiting.
► Where possible, cut in rotation rather than all at once as this will ensure some areas of hedgerow on your farm will always flower (Blackthorn is white in March. Whitethorn flowers at silage time in May).
► Hedges managed for pollinators should ideally be cut between November and January, in an A-shape. If they must be cut outside this, cut in rotation, so some areas remain undisturbed.
► Let some Bramble and Ivy grow in hedgerows. They are key nectar and pollen sources in summer and autumn.
► Where hedgerows must be cut along the roadside for safety, allow the inside to flower.
► Aim for a hedgerow that is as high as possible, but at least 2.5m above ground level or above the bank.
► Let some of your hedgerows grow wild, side-trimming only.
► Avoid spraying the hedgerow base, use mechanical weed control and spot-spray only in exceptional cases
► Leave an unfertilised buffer margin at the hedgerow base to encourage our wildflowers, which do better in nutrient-poor soils.
To find out more about how you can manage hedgerows for pollinating insects, and download the Farmland guidelines ‘Farmland: Actions to help Pollinators’, please visit http://pollinators.ie
This video was produced with funding from the Heritage Office, Tipperary County Council, and the Department of Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Filmed by Peter Cutler, http://crowcragproductions.com