Why lay a hawthorn hedge?

A well-laid hawthorn hedge is one of the most valuable features you can create in a British garden or smallholding. Unlike a flailed hedge, which grows thick on top and hollow at the base, a laid hedge is cut and bent so that new growth springs from the base. This creates a dense, stock-proof barrier that shelters wildlife, stores carbon and produces useful wood for crafts. Hawthorn, also called quickthorn or may, is the classic choice because it responds well to laying, regrows vigorously and has thorny stems that deter livestock. If you have a neglected hedge that has grown tall and leggy, laying it will renew it for decades.

Laying is not the same as coppicing. Coppicing cuts stems to the ground. Laying partly cuts through a stem – called a pleacher – and bends it over at an angle. The pleacher stays alive, sending up new vertical growth along its length. Over time, the bent stem thickens and the hedge becomes a living, woven barrier.

When to lay and what you will need

The best time to lay a hawthorn hedge is between October and early March, while the sap is down and the hedge is dormant. Avoid laying during frost or when the ground is waterlogged. If you lay too late in spring, the sap will be rising and the pleachers may die. If you lay in autumn, the cut stems have time to heal before winter.

You will need a sharp billhook, a small chainsaw or pruning saw for thicker stems, a heavy mallet, thick leather gloves, safety glasses and sturdy boots. For securing the hedge, you need stakes and binders. Stakes are usually hazel, ash or willow rods about 1.5 metres long and 5 to 7 centimetres thick. Binders are longer, flexible rods – hazel, willow or birch – woven along the top.

The cut that matters

The crucial part of laying is the cut. You are not chopping the stem off. You are cutting most of the way through it, leaving a hinge of living wood and bark on the side you want the stem to bend towards. For a hawthorn stem, make an upward-slanting cut on the side facing the direction you want the pleacher to fall. The cut should be about 5 to 10 centimetres above ground level. Leave roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of the stem's diameter intact as the hinge. If you cut too far, the stem snaps. If you cut too little, it will not bend.

Work along the hedge in sections. Choose stems between 5 and 15 centimetres in diameter. Thicker stems are harder to bend and may need a saw. Smaller stems can be left to grow on. Remove any dead wood, brambles or ivy at the base first. Always cut away from yourself and keep your fingers behind the blade.

Bending, weaving and securing

Once you have made the cut, gently push the pleacher over. It should bend without cracking. If it resists, cut a little more, but be careful. Aim to bend the stem to an angle of about 30 to 45 degrees from vertical. Lay the pleachers in the same direction along the hedge, so they overlap like tiles. Weave the pleachers between the stakes as you go, or lay them first and weave later.

For a beginner, the simplest method is the Midland style. Cut and lay each pleacher in turn, working from one end to the other. Keep the pleachers close together – roughly every 30 to 45 centimetres along the hedge. If you have gaps, fill them with a dead pleacher or a bundle of brushwood. The aim is a dense barrier that a rabbit cannot pass through.

Stakes and binders: finishing the job

After laying a section, drive a stake into the ground every 45 to 60 centimetres. The stakes should be upright and firm. They hold the pleachers down and stop them springing back up. Use a mallet, not a metal hammer, to avoid splitting the stake. The stakes should be about 1.2 to 1.5 metres above ground. If you are laying on a slope, place stakes more frequently.

Next, add the binders. These are long, flexible rods woven horizontally along the top of the stakes, in and out, to tie the hedge together. Start at one end and weave the binder over and under each stake. Two or three binders are usually enough. Binders should be tight enough to hold the pleachers down but not so tight that they snap. You can twist two binders together for extra strength.

Aftercare and common mistakes

After laying, leave the hedge alone for at least a year. Do not trim the top. The pleachers will send up new shoots from the cut points. In the first summer, keep livestock and rabbits away with temporary fencing. In the second winter, you can lightly trim the sides, but avoid cutting into the old wood. A laid hedge will need re-laying every 15 to 30 years.

Common beginner mistakes include cutting too deeply, bending the pleacher the wrong way, and using blunt tools. Another is laying in the wrong season – if you lay in summer, the pleachers will almost certainly die. Do not lay a hedge that is too old and brittle; if the stems snap easily, coppice it instead and lay the regrowth in a few years. Finally, do not rush. A hedge of 10 metres might take a full day for a beginner. Take your time, keep your tools sharp, and enjoy the process. The result is a living boundary that will serve you and wildlife for generations.