Our hedges are only a meter high; how best can I let them grow taller and thicker?

Hedges which are kept very low are not really attaining their full value for game and wildlife. However allowing them to grow on unrestricted may not be the best policy. To help keep their warmth and thickness it is better to trim then back a little higher and wider each year. In this way you can encourage a steadily bushier hedge, rather than end up with unrestricted and rather spindly growth.

A square shaped hedge of about two metres high is ideal. Some taller hedges can be great for partridge driving, and good for other wildlife too. On the other hand, driven pheasants often fly low along the line of tall hedges, whereas they would climb and spread much more if the hedges were lower.

Integrating hedge management with the needs of both quality shooting and good wildlife conservation is a complex business, and expert help in the form of an on site visit from your local Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust advisor is the best way to get this right.