Hedgerows are receiving renewed attention from farmers, policymakers and funding schemes, but planting or restoring a hedge is only the beginning of the job.
Defra’s Farming Annual Report for 2025 to 2026, published on 15 September, says approximately 168,600km of hedgerows were protected or restored through the Sustainable Farming Incentive. It also records around 59km of new hedgerow planted through Farming in Protected Landscapes.
Separately, recent reporting suggests that about 2,500 farmers have applied for funding to restore 1,300km of mature hedges, alongside applications covering around 2,500km of new planting.
Those application figures should not be confused with completed or approved work. They do, however, indicate substantial interest in hedge laying, restoration and planting.
For farmers considering their own project, the practical questions are straightforward: what does the hedge need, what does the agreement require, how will the work be completed safely and what evidence must be retained?
What the latest figures tell us
Defra reports that 52,000 farming businesses were participating in agri-environment schemes during 2025 to 2026. Around 36% of farmed land in England was actively managed under the Sustainable Farming Incentive, with a further 11% covered by assessments and plans.
Farming in Protected Landscapes supported more than 1,600 projects involving over 4,500 farmers and land managers. Its reported outputs included:
- Approximately 59,000 metres of new hedgerow
- Around 60,000 newly planted trees
- 226 ponds created or restored
- 297 projects intended to reduce flood risk
- Nearly 7,900 metres of restored dry-stone wall
These figures demonstrate the scale of publicly supported environmental work. They do not establish that every intervention delivered the same result on every farm.
The condition of the hedge, soil, species, exposure, livestock pressure and subsequent management will all affect the outcome.
Six checks before starting hedge work
1. Map the existing hedge properly
Begin with its current condition rather than the funding option.
Record:
- Total length
- Gaps and failed sections
- Approximate height and width
- Dominant species
- Mature or veteran trees
- Ditches, banks and watercourses
- Fencing condition
- Access from both sides
- Nearby roads, footpaths and utilities
- Areas affected by livestock rubbing or browsing
Photographs should be taken from repeatable positions. Marking the hedge on a field map will make it easier to plan materials, brief contractors and provide evidence later.
A hedge that needs laying, a recently planted hedge needing formative trimming and an overgrown boundary requiring selective coppicing are different jobs. Treating them as one generic “hedge improvement” risks poor results.
2. Confirm the agreement before committing expenditure
Capital Grants 2026 opened on 30 July 2026 and closed for new applications on 1 September 2026 once the available funding was allocated. Anyone with a pending or approved agreement should still check the current guidance before ordering materials or starting work.
Read the current guidance for the specific action rather than relying on an older payment rate or a previous scheme’s conditions.
Before starting, confirm:
- Whether approval is required before work or ordering materials
- Which hedge and parcel are eligible
- The required length, specification and timing
- Whether quotes or supporting documents are needed
- Which invoices and photographs must be retained
- Whether other agreements already apply to the same boundary
- The claim and completion deadlines
Starting work too early or deviating from the specification may affect payment. Keep the approval, maps, invoices and correspondence together.
3. Select the right intervention
New planting is not automatically preferable to restoring a surviving hedge.
A mature but gappy boundary may retain established roots, banks, trees and habitat that cannot be recreated quickly. Laying or coppicing may rejuvenate suitable growth, while planting can fill gaps or create a genuinely new boundary.
Obtain competent advice where the hedge contains veteran trees, protected features or difficult species.
The maintenance plan should extend beyond the first year. New plants may require weed control, guards, replacement of failures and protection from stock. A newly laid hedge will also need time to regrow before routine trimming resumes.
4. Plan machinery work safely
Tractor-mounted flail hedge cutters introduce risks including moving machinery, thrown material, hydraulic pressure, overhead power lines and unintended movement of the cutting arm.
Before work:
- Check guards, flails, fixings and hydraulic hoses.
- Confirm that controls are clearly identified and operate correctly.
- Inspect the tractor’s tyres, steering, brakes, mirrors, glass and lighting.
- Fit the machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Use transport locks or securing pins where specified.
- Establish an exclusion area for people and other vehicles.
- Check for overhead power lines and know the machine’s maximum reach.
- Plan traffic management where work affects a public road.
- Stop, isolate and secure the machine before clearing a blockage or carrying out maintenance.
Do not investigate a hydraulic leak with a hand. High-pressure fluid can penetrate skin and requires urgent medical treatment.
Work should be postponed where the verge, bank or field cannot support the tractor safely. A funding deadline does not make unstable ground suitable for machinery.
5. Check timing, wildlife and ground conditions
Different schemes and hedge-management actions can have different timing requirements. Wildlife law, nesting birds and any site-specific restrictions must also be considered.
Check the current rules before cutting rather than assuming that the same dates apply to every hedge and every agreement.
Ground conditions matter as well. Repeated travel along a wet hedge line can compact soil, damage roots and create runoff channels. Where possible, organise materials and machinery movements to minimise repeated passes.
6. Create an evidence and aftercare record
A complete project file should contain:
- Approval and agreement documents
- Before-and-after photographs
- A map of the completed work
- Dates and lengths completed
- Species and quantities planted
- Contractor invoices
- Material receipts
- Notes of substitutions or agreed changes
- Inspection dates
- Replacement planting and maintenance records
Inspect new and restored hedges after severe weather and during the following growing season. Record failed plants, damaged guards, loose fencing and livestock access, then schedule remedial work.
Protecting the tractor during hedge work
Hedge laying and trimming can bring mud, moisture, dust, twigs and dirty protective clothing into the cab.
A removable cover can help reduce direct exposure of the original upholstery to routine dirt and make cleaning more manageable. Farm Packs supplies heavy-duty tractor seat covers in high-back and low-back formats.
Choose a cover using the actual seat configuration and the cover’s confirmed measurements. It must not obstruct the seatbelt, adjustment controls, suspension, switches or other safety equipment.
Seat protection supports cab care. It does not replace machinery guarding, operator training or a safe system of work.
Plan the whole life of the hedge
The renewed interest in hedgerow funding is encouraging, but the strongest projects will be those designed around the boundary itself rather than the payment alone.
Map the hedge, identify the right intervention, check the current agreement and plan machinery safety before work begins. Then retain the evidence and provide the aftercare needed for the hedge to establish or recover.
A completed grant claim is one milestone. A healthy, well-managed boundary that continues to function for decades is the real result.
This article provides general information and does not replace current scheme guidance, wildlife advice, a suitable risk assessment or machinery manufacturers’ instructions.
Sources
Defra: Farming annual report 2025 to 2026 — published 15 September 2026
The Guardian: Farmers embrace the revival of hedge laying — published 15 September 2026
GOV.UK: Capital Grants 2026 — opened 30 July 2026; closed 1 September 2026; accessed 16 September 2026
HSE: Safe use of rotary flail hedge cutters — published 2012; accessed 16 September 2026
