windbreak fruitbushes or willow

[janzbro]

Hi, I have a very exposed plot on the side of a hill with prevailing southwesterly wind.

The plot is 10m wide x 25m long and runs north to south and I need some form of windbreak on the west side.

I have endless amount of willow for a quick hedge as I planted 100m of it a few years ago but was worried it would get too high as some of that now must be 12 feet high on the east side of the field and it would overshadow the plot, I was hoping to put my blackberries redberries and goosegogs along this western side to give me a lowish hedge which will give me produce as well.

Which would you suggest or should I do a combo of both with willow outside fence and the fruit bushes inside, decisions decisions?

[planetologist]

Those three berries are not very tall, in my garden blackberries maybe 1.5 m and the other two less than 1m. https://www.agroforestry.co.uk/ have some edible bushes some of which are said to make reasonable hedges. Bushes with a final height you want will take years to reach that, so there's always a tradeoff between how long you're prepared to wait and how much pruning will be needed afterwards. Espaliered top fruit and nuts would work as well, though that could become expensive, and if it's really windy the trees won't be super happy. I would go for a mix of edibles, and add and remove things as needed as they grow.

[janzbro]

on thinking there are so many pluses for using willow as a hedge, its fast growing , attracts many forms wildlife, flowers early so will attract bees for pollination and I can cuttings use it for poles stakes firewood.

Ive talked myself into it, the ground is strimmed, I have the weed fabric and willow already, so I that will be my job tomorrow me thinks

as well as finishing the fence and covering it in rabbit wire, jebus hope the rain keeps off!!!!

[Scarlet]

Willow is a really vigorous grower. I think it may well take a lot of nutrients including water from your plot. When it gets itself established there willbe no stopping it.

[veggiechicken]

Will planting willow affect your neighbour's plots? I agree with Scarlet - its too vigorous and difficult to get rid of, to be on an allotment.

[Guest]

I wouldn't go willow as it is a pain. Also (hopefully someone can confirm) but isn't 1ft of hedge meant to give 3ft of shelter so fruit bushes would be fine just the establishing bit. I would personally run a length of netting as well just so they aren't battered about.

[janzbro]

I might need to explain my "veg plot / orchard/chicken run" is 1/4 of an acre which I have set aside from a 1 acre paddock/ overgrown mess that we have. So no bother to other plot owners etc, we live in the northeast in a place that gets more than its fair share of rain and I am also downhill from the neighbouring farmers field so I could do with something to actually dry the place up a little.

I did firstly suggest the fruit bushes (I have plenty of 1 yr olds grown on this year) but other members suggested that they wouldn't be any good.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks for explaining. I think we all thought you were talking about an allotment plot, not your own land

[Guest]

If it is wet, no bother to anyone else and will benefit the rest of your land then willow it up

You may want to consider willow baskets (or similar) at craft fairs (or similar) though

[Scarlet]

I did firstly suggest the fruit bushes (I have plenty of 1 yr olds grown on this year) but other members suggested that they wouldn't be any good.

Why not? I'll go and look at the thread but if you plant closer than usual you may get a smaller crop...but it is a crop. I've got a hedge of blackcurrants and redcurrants, they are planted about a 3 or 4 apart, ideally they should have been much further but it does make a good hedge and it's really productive. The red currants are much taller than the blackcurrants. Blackcurrants are are about 3-4 foot high. Redcurrants 5ft. I've also a hedge of gooseberries, these are 3 foot high.
You could plant to close together to start and then dig out every other?

I'll try to find the thread with a photo I put up showing my hedge.

#just to point out that I'm really not a fan of willow I had one growing in my garden and it sends out suckers everywhere. I turned my back and one of them was 20ft you cut them down and then they reappear. Horrible things..

[janzbro]

Great idea, my dad was blind and trained as a weaver but I was young and not interested in such things, the irony, still remember not being able to have a bath as it was full of willow steeping overnight for job the next day.

[janzbro]

If it is wet, no bother to anyone else and will benefit the rest of your land then willow it up

You may want to consider willow baskets (or similar) at craft fairs (or similar) though

Great idea, my dad was blind and trained as a weaver but I was young and not interested in such things, the irony, still remember not being able to have a bath as it was full of willow steeping overnight for job the next day.

[veggiechicken]

Jostaberries grow tall and have large leaves, like blackcurrants. Easy to grow from cuttings. Fruit bushes (and willow) are deciduous so if you want year-round protection you'll have to think of something else, possibly man-made, like netting.

[janzbro]

not planing on growing much during winter as just starting out but I do have 25m of debris netting that I used as temporary chicken netting to let them free range a bit, just so happens thats the length of fence I have that needs a windbreak, presume this will make good fruit netting if the bushes go along there later on next year (providing I get fruit that is)

PS I also have this around the chicken run and I cant say it slows the wind very much, I had to resort to straw bales around the bottom to give them a little shelter, are you sure this is enough for plants?