I have to completely repair 100m of overgrown hedge line - hazel, hawthorn, gorse, blackthorn - all the thorny things... at the moment, most is covered in brambles, and ivy, which are also thick and thorny
I'm in the UK (as if the hedge species didn't give it away), and we get a fair whack of rainfall accordingly. This
land is on a slope near the bottom of a valley, stony and VERY clay land.
My plan is:
To scrub out as much bramble and ivy as I can (in the rain, by hand...hard, tedious), and cover the ground in black plastic for a year.
Tidy the fence itself, re-tighten, increase the protection from rabbits
Coppice most of what's in there, to try and encourage growth
plant a line of black locust and seabuckthorn, 2m inside the fence line (the other side of the black tarp, which is the south side). These will need to be mounded up a little because it is so wet down here. This location is generally, on a ridge along the slope.
My concern is planting a line of
trees on a (albeit small) mound, on a slope that is OFF contour stands to get me in trouble. The contours run about 45° across the fence line, so the fence crosses the shape of the land.
If I plant them straight into the ground they might be OK, but it could well be too wet for them - the sea buckthorn certainly.
What do folks do when planting along a boundary line? These invariably do not follow contour lines. Do you just plant the row and hope for the best?
Any tips on stopping brambles and ivy from returning appreciated too...