HEDGES AND EDGES - This is where the magic happens 🌳

Hedges can be seen as just boundary markers on farm land but they are so much more. Shelter, forage, habitat and a living fence when managed right. I carried on the walk with RegenBen to chat about the boundaries and the best way to make them thrive.
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[@theresathomas1258]

I just want to say how very much I enjoy this channel! This from a 71 year-old dedicated urbanite! 🇨🇦

[@diyfarm]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@stephengent9974]

Far better to have hedges with standards to give a far better range of opportunities for wildlife. Don't be keen to make things tidy. Let the hedges develop for a few years. You don't need to trim the hedge tops. Just let them grow out. Different types of hedges are lid at different time intervals, and there are different styles of hedge laying. It is not difficult. Any gaps in the hedge can be filled until new growth comes through. They make good stock proof barriers if maintained properly. In days gone by hedges provided timber for all sorts of tasks, form tool handles to building timbers

[@dazryan3463]

Really interesting stuff. A return to traditional , rather than politically motivated, farming is essential

[@michaelwhitmore5259]

Mate, this was like a course in farming, amazing stuff.

[@Dannyp8038]

Such a joy seeing the land grow with enthusiasm. So much knowledge around to draw from can only bring out the best in the land you have.

[@Strange-Viking]

in the Netherlands hedging used to be a profession, something called along the line of hedge fletching. people literally fletching hedges to make fencing the end result being a natural fence of 2meters high, or even higher, and thick too. Making it self sustaining, only needing to maintain it very little. some of those hedges are still around today. (yeah 100+ years but actually they been on the same locations for allot longer then that possibly 1000-2000y) quite similar to those but they also used reeds and willow to fill them up at young age and protect them. They also used the method shown in this video. the splitting resulting in an overlap, so even if one dies it would still be a full thick closed hedge. Its been practices over 2000 years in europe so I think originally those hedges you got over there might actually have been fletched the same way

[@stevebutterworth1937]

Thanks Ben ,…I’m now fully armed with a reply when the wife says “When are you going to get the hedges cut?”

[@andy199121]

That hedge would be fine to lay if left for 3 years, 10 years is not necessary. You need about 8-10ft minimum and that needs to be decent size growth on the tips, I.e don’t flail it to 6ft and expect a seasons growth on the top to suffice, there won’t be enough strength in the top to enable a good build weaving into the stakes.

[@lukewarm2075]

Omg rhis guy makes so much sense love his videos 😊😊😊

[@stephenrowlands843]

Another great video. Keep at it. Quite a leap from your home diy days!

[@ThisOldManOfTheSea]

Another excellent episode of “conversations with Ben". I’m sure he’s a busy chap but I do hope you and he find time for more of these. I hope to see you both in waders one day as you stroll through the various waters and discuss the riparian habitats on the farm. The only downside with ‘cultivating hedges as wildlife habitats’ is that all of the country lanes around here are getting narrower and narrower and I’m constantly getting scratches, on me and my car, from dangling brambles - it’s now possible to collect blackberries and sloes without getting out of the car!

[@diyfarm]

Very true. I guess roadside hedges can be the exception and left a bit tighter than the field boundaries. 😀

[@South3600]

Excellent

[@wgoconnor33]

What an interesting conversation that was , I was completely engaged in listening.

[@felixreali7101]

Absolutely love these chats. Such a wealth of information. Does Ben have a YT channel too?

[@turnbull321]

Really interesting

[@douglasdeans2839]

Maggie is just a very happy dog!

[@WhosPhotoTube]

Hedgerow's information is brilliant.

[@paulphillips2941]

Could have a look at siromer tractors, they sell build yourself tractors and all kinds of smaller implements inc balers etc. Tom Pemberton has a video building one of their tractors 👍

[@flashback9966]

No, this bloke is the magic!

[@richardthomas4479]

You could do what we do with most of our hedges. Only mechanically trim what you absolutely have to, leave the rest and lay on a 20-25 year rotation. That will promote its own diversity of sizes, types and diversity of hedge habitat. You could lay them using stewardship money to pay for the work and the fencing. Leave some brash perhaps and use the firewood to heat your house.

[@diyfarm]

Many of these are the neighbours however we have 500m to plant this autumn which we will leave and lay, when I’m a lot more grey and old!

[@richardthomas4479]

Great!

[@C4sp3r123]

I wouldnt mind buying a sofa off Ben, think it would still have the delivery wrapper on as it doesnt sound like he spends much time sitting down 😂 What he doesnt know could be written on a stamp! I hope you have the gate replaced before he next visits 😅

[@davidroberts7490]

Ben is fascinating 😊

[@54mgtf22]

Love your work 👍

[@lukewarm2075]

Does this shovel guy have his own channel i love him

[@diyfarm]

Podcast. Farming for a change. 👍

[@2frogland]

very interesting guy not so different to my father who was a mixed farmer with tons of odd knowledge ,from hedges to rotations and feeding the land to harvests all done with work and skills that cost nothing it was a system as such not buying an input as is done since,some i learnt ,i still have the farm but only 10 acres of land to play with

[@petermiller1041]

Have you got another channel - dealing with gold and silver bullion ?

[@helenn6061]

The common agricultural policy destroyed hedgerows.

[@richardstevenson2727]

👊🫡

[@ianroughley1933]

My honest opinion of that guy when I 1st saw him was "fraud". However when he started taking about the birds in this vid....yup that chap has experience 👍

[@JulieAdams-td4xx]

His name is Regen Ben. He is very knowledgeable.