PA044/A/08 Time To Stop Hedge Cutting

21 February 2008

Late autumn and winter are the best time to carry out cutting and trimming of hedges when the trees and hedgerow shrubs are dormant and before birds have begun to nest.

Hedges may be trimmed or coppiced from 1 September until the end of February, but from 1 March to 31 August, hedge cutting or coppicing is not permitted under Single Farm Payment Cross-Compliance requirements.  This is to protect nesting birds from disturbance. All wild birds, their nests, young and eggs are protected under law and it is an offence to damage a nest intentionally while it is in use or being built.  

January and February are the best time to cut hedges, as by this time birds and small mammals will have eaten most of the nuts and berries which were laid down in the hedges last autumn. If ground conditions make this difficult, then try to cut as late as possible into the autumn. If you think you will not have enough time to trim your hedges before the end of February, then leave some hedges uncut and continue to do this in a two to three year rotation around the farm. This creates a variety of hedge heights and widths which are great for wildlife and provide good shelter for stock. If you are an agri-environment scheme participant, cutting on a two to three year rotation is a requirement of your management agreement. As a general rule, the wider and taller a hedge is, the more wildlife it supports. The exception is for birds such as yellowhammers and linnets which prefer short hedges, so keep some of your hedges shorter if you have these birds breeding on your farm.

Where health and safety is an issue, for example along roadside hedges, hedge cutting is permitted between 1 March and 31 August. However it is important to make sure that you do not disturb nesting birds if you do need to cut at this time. Also remember that before trimming or topping a hedge, it is a good idea to mark saplings that are suitable to grow into mature hedgerow trees, so that cutting machinery does not damage them.  

For more information on hedgerow management, please contact Countryside Management Branch at your local DARD Office.

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