Students in hedge trial

The exciting trial is in association with company, Hedges Direct, who supplied the materials.

The trial sees two planting methods used and the hedging plants planted with and without mycorrhizal inoculants.

The aim was to compare the establishment and growth of native hedging plants using the two planting techniques (notch or trench) and with or without mycorrhizae. Six species of hedge have been used, with 500 plants in total covering an area of 100 metres in length. This has then been split into sections and blocks.

Irene Weir, Senior Lecturer in Horticulture and Arboriculture at Myerscough College said: ‘’Mycorrhizal treatment (root grow) was applied according to manufacturer’s instructions for whips and bare root plants. Seedlings were kept in plastic bags to prevent then drying out.

‘’The area was then marked out and each block was planted with the treatments. The students were briefed on the plan for the day and the experimental design, then the piles of trees were organised accordingly.

''We began by giving the students a practical demonstration of notch and hedge planting. The students soon picked it up and some quality hedge planting was under way. The stretch ran along a fence which was erected last year as part of a level three arboriculture module to protect the newly planted trees behind. Eventually, the fence will be removed as the hedge and trees behind establish themselves.’’

The plan is follow the project as part of a student work project and measure the growth of the hedge over the coming year.