Coppicing is a method of rejuvenating whitethorn hedgerows that have been poorly maintained and no longer make good fences or habitats for wildlife.

Some farmers participating in GLAS III must coppice certain hedges for the scheme by 30 November this year.

Coppicing involves cutting an existing hedge at the base and removing the cut branches and trash to expose the old stumps to light.

The idea is when these hedges are cut down to the base, they will grow back thicker and stronger, with the help of good management.

To coppice a hedge, cut the stems as close to the ground as possible. For GLAS, stems should be cut below 15cm.

Some farmers cut these hedges down themselves with a chainsaw, but circular saws on a mounted hedge cutter can also be used.

Farmers participating in GLAS should note that a digger is not allowed for coppicing or laying of hedgerows.

Individual mature standard trees within the selected hedgerow must not be coppiced either.

The litter left after coppicing should be removed to allow light at the cut stumps. This litter can be stored in the corner of a field and left to rot.

Alternatively, some farmers burn the vegetative litter. The advice is to contact the local county council to obtain permission to burn agricultural waste and also to contact the relevant regional fire control centre first if going down that route.

Dense growth

Thorny species respond to coppicing by producing dense growth at ground level.

Where non-thorny species, such as ash, have been cut, the freshly-cut stump should be painted with glyphosate to kill it, as it will destroy the effectiveness of the newly rejuvenated hedge.

For the first few years after coppicing, cut the regrowth back to 75mm above previous level of cut, gradually shaping into a triangular shape, allowing a few whitethorns to mature to provide flowers for bees and fruit for birds.

In GLAS, infilling must be carried out if gaps are present in the hedgerow that will not be filled by regrowth from the coppiced hedgerow.