Living Willow Fedge

A fedge is a cross between a fence and a hedge. It can be used as an informal boundary between areas of garden.

A Living Willow Fence can be installed after the ground thaws and until the end of April.

Specialist growers will supply mainly one-year-old rods or whips or staves (stems). These are fine, but if possible, order two-year-old material for uprights and one-year-old for the woven infill.
To help you chose the right height for your fedge, bear in mind that if you plant 2m (6½ft) rods 15-25cm (6-10in) deep at an angle of 45° the fedge will be about 1.2m (4ft) in height. Subsequent growth will easily double this height.
When your willow stems arrive, store them until needed in a dark cool place with the bases emersed in 10cm (4in) of water. Prune off the lower 10cm (4in) of stem when you plant, even if it has rooted when in contact with the water.

Choosing the site

Choose a part of the garden that is naturally moist and sunny, avoiding drains or buildings. Plant at least 10m (33ft) from these areas.
A moisture-retentive soil will encourage more vigorous growth although willow will grow in most soils.
Clear grass away from the base of the structure before planting and consider planting through a weed control membrane to eliminate the burden of weeding.
To keep down weeds once the willow is planted, apply a deep mulch of composted bark or bark chippings around the rods.
Water the site thoroughly in dry spells.

How to plant

Make holes first with an old screwdriver or similar, then push the rods or whips (willow stems) 30cm (12in) or more into the ground.
Consider including four rods woven loosely together every 2m (6½ft) for solidity.
Plant half the rods at an angle of 45° at a distance of about 25cm (10in) apart.
Plant the remaining rods at a similar angle in between the first rods but in the opposite direction.
The stems may naturally graft together where the stems cross together. Encourage this by tying joins together with string or thin pieces of willow.
Shoots will sprout from the rods inserted into the ground. If cut back these new stems should help thicken the structure; useful if thin, one-year-old shoots were originally used to construct your feature.

Continue reading

Living Willow Fedge