Plant a Fruiting Hedge and Forage at Home
Food for free from your own edible hedge
A few years ago there was a big gap in our boundary hedge that borders the small road going past our house and shelters us from the view of passers-by and the noise of rushing tractors and cars. The gap, once useful for delivery of building material, now that the house was finished, needed to be filled. We considered various options: a gate, a stonewall, filling the gap with hawthorn and willow, which were already there on either side, in the end we opted for a fruiting or edible hedge. Trees, bushes, shrubs and plants that would not only fulfill the function of a hedge, but also produce fruit for us and create a habitat for the various wildlife.
An edible hedge or a fruiting hedge is a useful and attractive feature in any garden. It provides separation, and shelter from the wind, and it produces a variety of fruits that can be eaten fresh or used to make jam and other specialities. It can also shelter your vegetable garden or become a good backdrop for other ornamental plants and flowerbeds. And if your neighbour is agreeable replace your fence with an edible hedge.
“Hedgerows are Irelands rainforest”,
claims Hedgerows Ireland, an NGO campaigning for both better legal protection and financial incentivisation of hedgerows. With an estimated 689,000 km, hedgerows define the Irish landscape. They are an ecosystems where native flora and fauna co-exist in harmony as they have done for centuries. And they are protected from cutting between the 1st of March and the 31st of August each year. A statement from the Government explains: "In Ireland, where there is relatively low cover of native woodland, hedges are of exceptional importance in providing food and shelter and habitats and corridors for maintaining wildlife diversity, particularly for birds, but also for other fauna and for wild plants.”
Hedgerows are often boundaries between farms, fields and properties and also between the wild and the cultivated areas, between ecology and agriculture. Planting a hedge with native species is a cultural act with ecological consequences, but it definitely increases biodiversity and that is a good thing!
How to plant a native edible hedge
Now, in the dormant season, is a good time to plan and research and lay the groundwork for a hedge that’s both functional – and edible! Begin by clearing the ground of perennial weeds and mulch over with grass cuttings, leaves, cardboard or compost. From November to March is a good time to take action, we planted ours in early March. Create a dense hedge by planting in a zig-zag fashion about 3 ft wide. A mixed-species hedge is best with all those contrasting leaf shapes and colour from flowering favourites such as hawthorn and elderflower. Bare rooted plants are cheaper and planted best till end of March, the more expensive plants in pots can be planted all year round, but will do best in early Spring. If you choose native varieties they will establish quickly, will need very little maintenance and adapt to their own light levels and soil needs.
Which trees to plant
Trees like Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hazel, Birch, Crab Apple, Guelder Rose or Wild Cherry will grow tall and need good spacing in between. Fruit bushes can be planted at very close spacings in a hedge, but it’s still really important to avoid planting too densely and plants are struggling for light and nutrients. If in doubt consult with your nursery or supplier and follow their recommendations for spacing of each species. Check for moisture in the soil and in the unlikely event of dry conditions water regularly at the beginning. Several wild fruit trees can be trained and contained within a hedge, where they will form a dense habit while yielding lots of small but delicious or useful fruits.
Foraging at home
Creating an edible hedge means you will be able to forage “at home” and select your favourite wild food. The Elder tree will provide flowers for lemonade and berries for a cough syrup, the Hazel provides springtime catkins – so valued by early pollinators – and nuts in the autumn. The fruits of the Blackthorn are used to make sloe gin. Dog roses give you hips for jams and Crab apples make an excellent jelly. Hardy Fuchsias also make good hedging plants, particularly in coastal locations and their fruits are edible. Particularly stunning in the Springtime is the Wild Cherry with its early appearance of pale-pink blossoms that help to attract a legion of pollinating insects, which will go on to fertilise other fruit trees.
Another plant that bears masses of flowers and fruits is the Crab Apple, which supports close to 100 species of insects. Wherever you plant it, it’s sure to bring beneficial bugs of all types to your garden. And don’t forget the Quince, whose fragrant fruits make the perfect companion to apples within a pie.
Fruit bushes suitable for inter planting are Raspberries, Bilberries and Blackberries, other fruiting plants which are suitable and can grow in half shade are Alpine Strawberries, Horseradish, Wild Garlic, Nettles. If you plant Blackberry canes, perhaps use a spineless variety to save your fingers when picking and pruning!
Food for free
The gap in our hedge by the road is now closed and the trees and fruit bushes, mainly raspberries are nearly two meters high and the ground is covered with mostly alpine strawberries. Our raspberry trial this year showed a saving of nearly €400 compared to what we would have spent at the €5 for 2 deal in Super Value. The growing space was around 3 sqms. We also had Hawthorn berry chutney, elderflower rob, blackberry jam, horseradish sauce, Wild garlic pesto, Nettle soup, rosehip honey, quince and crab apple jelly.