Time-honoured traditions could breathe life back into our hedgerows

sir – Thrashing hedgerows to death with mechanical flails is a terribly destructive and counterproductive exercise (Letters, January 17); but doing nothing is not an option either.

By far the best way to manage a hedgerow for long-term health is to have it laid, in which its trees are partially cut and bent. Almost every lowland district in the country has its own hedgelaying style. All of them, done correctly, will produce a strong, dense latticework of growth, creating a stock-proof barrier and an ideal nesting environment for small birds.

Almost any native hedgerow species can be laid once it has reached about 8ft in height. Newly planted hedges should have their plastic tree guards removed as soon as possible as these inhibit side growth at the base. Laying can cost no more than fencing; it will last far longer and will not need any other attention for years.

Rather than paying farmers to destroy hedgerows with pointless flailing, the Government should shift its financial support post-brexit towards reviving traditional hedgelaying. Householders can play their part, too, by laying garden hedges. It is one of the most ecologically beneficial things you will ever do in your field or garden. Jim Doar

Blandford, Dorset

sir – RL Preston’s letter correctly draws our attention to the hedgeshredding activities of farmers and local councils. My own county council excels at this unsightly practice, as well as undertaking the mowing of grass verges without first attempting to clear the copious quantity of litter that tends to gather. The result is a blizzard of shredded paper and plastic spread over an even wider area.

An equally egregious trend is the movement of gargantuan farm machinery along single-track lanes. The wide track and oversized wheels of modern tractors and combine harvesters are destroying the fragile banks and verges of these ancient byways. Adjoining trees and hedgerows suffer as a result by having their roots exposed. Tony Souter

Alton, Hampshire

sir – I have been farming for over 50 years, and in all that time flail hedgecutters have been our principal means of maintaining over 50 miles of hedgerow. These machines do leave a temporary untidy mess, but trimmed hedges grow thicker and stronger for nesting birds.

Like most farmers, I have planted more new hedges in the last 30 years than were removed in the previous 30. We are not allowed to cut hedges between March 1 and September 1 except to maintain roadside visibility.

It is recommended that we only trim hedges once every three years, to ensure enough winter berries for the songbirds. Our main concern for these birds is the huge increase in predatory raptors, which by law we are no longer allowed to control. Jonathan Dixon Smith

Braintree, Essex