Hedging the gap
The Stroud Valleys Project tree team visited Wild Acres today to plant a hedge at the top of the site. We had spent a few weeks prior clearing this space from the very overgrown old hedge.
There was a clear line of sight to plant the hedge, but the ground was riddled with roots from the old one. This should mean that the new and existing plants grow up together and should form a thick and rich combination habitat.
The weather was pretty rainy in the early morning, but had eased by the time we came to start.
The SVP team is pretty fast at planting hedges and by morning coffee break, a good chunk of the line had been laid.
During the break, it was a good opportunity for the team to check the hedge which they planted last year in the bottom field. It has grown amazingly well, although the spirals will stay on for about three years. Stuart mentioned a lot of problems with voles and mice who nibble the bases of the young trees. They need to be pretty strong before removing the guards.
All the trees were planted by lunch time. Stuart is able to provide us with 75 more in early March, which we can plant during one of the community Tuesday sessions.
Cherie cooked an incredible lunch. We had pasta, garlic bread and pakora. All made with produce from the polytunnel which had been harvested last season and stored in sawdust in the storage containers.
