Dead hedges - positively alive

Dead hedges have been around for some time but in the last decade or so have become a feature in many gardens, woodlands and nature reserves. It’s not so common to see a bonfire of felled branches or brash these days, rather the material is turned into a drop-in or permanent home for mammals, birds, insects, fungi and a whole host of microscopic creatures. 

If you haven’t come across a dead hedge they’re essentially a collection of brash, branches, and other woody material set into a long stack supported by stakes on either side.  Two rows of these wooden stakes, either purchased or made from suitable branches found in-situ are driven into the ground.  More material created from felling, hedge cutting, or simply cleared from pathways is laid down between the two rows of stakes and stacked to the desired height.  Generally they are around four feet high but can go higher or lower. In public areas they can be used to keep visitors to paths and tracks but their main superpower is as a habitat for a whole host of creatures. 

Fungi are often the first to take up residence with spores landing on the dead wood and sending out fine root-like mycelia to make a meal of the lignin and cellulose.  This process makes the wood available to others in the chain.  Beetle larvae, bees, and woodlice all find space at the table creating a banquet themselves for larger animals such as birds, small mammals, and reptiles. 

The dense network of twigs and branches also act as a safe refuge with birds such as wrens easily negotiating the matrix of tunnels, while woodpeckers will find the rotting wood a reliable source of food items.  An additional benefit is that shading from the hedge materials creates a cool environment at ground level and it’s here that frogs, toads, slow worms, and snakes can find a home.