Natural windbreaks

[burnie]

Not sure where to post this , so here for now.
I've spent a fair bit of money on a wind break fence , 3x3 posts , sheep fence with split bamboo screening attached. Well these winds have smashed it to bits before its a year old.
Question , what would be a better "natural alternative"? , I went for the fence so I could plant close to it , now pondering a beech hedge . Question 2 , are they hungry(beech hedges that is) , how close could I plant my raspberies , tayberries and other soft fruits?

[supersprout]

I've used Jerusalem Artichokes. Trouble is anything close to a hedge will have to compete with some hungry roots

[dexterdoglancashire]

Not sure if this is natural - have you tried Rennies? Sorry - my sense of humour - and trying to get in there before Nick! DDL

[nick the grief]

Hi Burnie,

Your best bet would be to have a path along side the hedge then it will give you 2ft to playwith before you have to worry about the hedge. Does it have to be Beech? you could always plant a Yew hedge & keep it trimmed ( it will grow from the old wood just incase you have to get brutal) or failing that how about some Wattle hurdles but I think you'd have to fasten some horizontal wood to the post o help support them.

[burnie]

Cheers for the replies folks,I thought of beech because they are used a lot by farmers round here,with the leaves staying on they'll offer a bit more winter protection and the birds can't really nest on a fence(thought I'd try to encourage more insect and in particular caterpillar eaters).Also less likely to cause the wind swirly problem in the lee of it and finally it should(I thought) reduce the likelyhood of causing a frost pocket.Yew is one of my favourite trees,I do have one,but I fear that by the time it's filled out I'll be long gone,too slow growing.I already have a privet on the opposite side of my garden,so wanted some thing different(secretly wish I could have a thick hedge with something edible on it).

[rustylady]

Thick and edible is a bit of a problem, also quick growing. If it grows quickly, it will also need frequent trimming. How fast does it need to grow?: Does it need to repel intruders (e.g. thorny)? Also, how tall does it need to be? You could also make the boundary out of your raspberries etc. I know from bitter experience that blackberries make a thiefproof (and ownerproof) boundary hedge.

[Peter]

Go traditional.

Hawthorn, dogrose and hazel are good for a mixed wildlife and gardener friendly hedge. Blackthorn will add sloes to the mix, but it suckers.

These three grow fast, withstand cutting back and can give you, haws, hips and nuts. Also the traditional art of hedgelaying and the traditional harvest of pea and bean sticks from the hazel. Only downside could be squirrels.

Try these guys NOW for some hints n tips, with my site agent hat on I have got the council to use them several times, NO problems.
http://www.crown-nursery.co.uk/hedging2.htm
It can be surprisingly cheap.

I say NOW because you may be a bit late for bare root stock if you prevaricate.

[Alice]

What about a mixed hedge Burnie, Would give you the best of all worlds with fruit and flowers,nuts and hips and haws. You could try beach, hawthorn, rosa rugosa, fuchsia magellanica, hazel, currants, cotoneaster,yew, rhododendron, privet, honeysuckle, escallonia - the list is endless.

[snohare]

If windburned leaves caused by a real blasting wind is your biggest problem, hornbeam is probably the answer - looks just like beech in summer, but keeps the bronze-coloured dead leaves all winter (assuming it's cold !), and is more hardy. Dog Rose and the like are hardy and great for beasties (come to think of it, they harbour aphids by the million ! ), but not as good for birds I wouldn't think.
Many fruit bushes are top feeders - have an extensive layer of surface roots - so are fed adequately by regular winter mulching with manure. That might well help with potential problems regarding your hedge roots. Moisture is more likely to be the problem, maybe a soakaway drain leading to the fruit bushes would help solve that ?

[Birdie Wife]

Living willow is good too, grows quickly, can be very decorative and bends rather than breaks in the wind.

[nick the grief]

Hornbeam is a good alternative to Beech especially if you garden on heavy soil.

[burnie]

Cor,great replies guys,I may prevaricate as the grounds not clear and it's frozen at the moment,so if it waits till next autumn that's fine as I want to get it right rather than have to move stuff again.

[gealbhan]

for the quickest I would go for a two tight rows of willow and pollard it each year for fuel or other uses.. or a living willow fence as someone else has suggested.

[Two_Sheds]

I like willow too, fast-growing, with lots of uses apart from a windbreak. Not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but windbreaks are most effective when they are about 60% dense (not solid as this makes turbulence), and stronger if planted in a zigzag not a straight line