Machinery

The planting of a new hedgerow is usually done by hand though it is possible to use a tractor mounted auger or plough to create a planting slot for the trees. Using a plough or auger can lead to pest and drying problems resulting in failure of trees if the soil is not adequately pressed afterwards.

The machinery and equipment used will depend on the type of maintenance that you are doing, the access that is available and the ground conditions when completing the work.

A chainsaw is commonly used to trim or fell coppiced hedgerows. An excavator with a grapple saw will significantly increase the rate of work, but they are expensive, need good access and can lead to compaction. If you are not harvesting the coppice as a timber product then you will also need a chipper. There are many different designs which vary significantly in operation and price. To work efficiently you need a chipper where you can insert the branches with a crane (extern or built on). A crane fed chipper with a built-in collection box is an ideal solution as you only need one person to operate it and it can operate where access is limited.

A tractor mounted finger bar mower is a good option for annual hedge trimming. If you are cutting a hedge on a longer rotation, then a tractor mounted flail hedge cutter is effective for managing most woody species. For faster growing species, such as willow, a heavier duty flail may be needed. It is essential that the correct rotor is used at the appropriate forward speed to avoid damaging the hedgerow.

More information:

English and Dutch brochure on harvesting hedgerows.

In this Dutch brochure you can find the results of a project that examined if the harvest from local hollow roads and wood edges can supply the woodchip boiler in the new low-energy town hall of Bierbeek (Belgium). 

In this brochure (French) you can find more information on usefull machinery for the maintenance of hedgerows. Here you can find some more information (French).