Essential Approaches for Tree and Hedge Management

Technical articles - Ver de Terre Production - Biodiversity, Diversification

Arboriculture Agroforestry Hedge Tree Sustainable management plan Equipment Pruning

In agricultural and landscape systems, trees and hedges play a strategic role, both productive, ecological, and aesthetic. Their sustainable management is not limited to maintenance: it determines their longevity, resilience, and ability to provide essential services. In the face of the decline of bocage and the growing needs for local resources — wood, fodder, biodiversity — it becomes crucial to implement pruning and regeneration practices adapted to each type of stand. This guide explores the fundamental principles of reasoned management, serving productivity and sustainability.

Why is sustainable management of trees and hedges essential?

By cultivating trees as fruit trees, forest trees, hedges, or ornamentals, humans have influenced their development to meet various needs: protection, landscaping, or valorization of resources. Yet, despite the annual planting of new hedges, their decline continues, mainly due to a lack or excess of maintenance of the existing and aging bocage network.

It is important to highlight the economic benefits related to sustainable hedge management. This notably allows the production of energy wood, while excessive annual pruning reduces this potential and weakens the hedge. Similarly, pruning fruit trees optimizes their yield, and interventions on forest trees promote their growth and improve wood quality. Hedges, for their part, play a key role in bocage landscapes and require regular management to maintain their functionality. Proper maintenance allows controlling their development or densification according to the targeted objectives. Human and financial resources available must also be taken into account.

What are the best practices for hedge management?

The choice of tools must be adapted to the characteristics of trees, hedges, and the frequency of interventions. In case of regular wood harvesting, it is recommended to alternate pruned sections and avoid pruning the entire hedge at once.

For sustainable maintenance, avoid cutting large diameter branches and favor regular interventions on thinner branches. Cuts must be clean and precise to avoid splintering and open wounds, which are vectors of diseases. All tools used must be suitable, well cleaned, and sharpened.

From an ecological point of view, avoid top pruning, which weakens the hedge if the transition is not gradual. It is essential to maintain a minimum width of 1.5 m for the hedge, as well as a herbaceous strip at least 1 m wide serving as a refuge for auxiliary fauna.

Technical benchmarks

Pruning and renewal are essential practices to guide growth, preserve tree health, and achieve management objectives.
Favorable periods should be prioritized and ecological issues integrated, notably the preservation of natural habitats.
The choice of equipment has a direct impact on the hedge's plant dynamics and influences maintenance methods.

Pruning techniques according to the age, function, and condition of the tree

High-stem hedge

Composed exclusively of high-stem trees. Formative pruning is carried out annually from the second year after planting until the desired height is reached (generally between 10 and 20 years). The goal is to guide growth to form a balanced and robust trunk capable of supporting the main branches. This involves removing forks (division of the terminal bud), overly vigorous dominant branches, and vertical shoots at the top of the crown. Pruning lower branches raises the crown, favors light for lower strata, and improves trunk quality by reducing knots.

Pollard

Traditional technique promoting biomass and fodder production while offering a biodiversity reservoir. It consists of cutting all branches as close as possible to the pollard head while preserving the healing collar. The first pruning is done when the trunk reaches a diameter of 5 to 10 cm, then every 4 to 5 years for willow (or more, depending on species). The diameter of shoots to be cut must not exceed 15 cm.

Lateral pruning

It can start 6 to 8 years after planting to control hedge width. An annual pass on the year's shoots allows sustainable maintenance. A flail mower or a cutting bar can be used. For branches older than two years, it is recommended to use a circular saw or a pruning saw for clean cuts.

Coppice (or stool)

Coppice hedges are composed of multi-stemmed trees or shrubs. Coppicing rejuvenates the hedge and produces firewood. It is done approximately every 10 years for shrubs and every 15 years for trees, a few centimeters above the collar, with a chainsaw, between December and March. It thickens the base, strengthens the root system, and rejuvenates the hedge.

Thinning

It can be practiced between 15 and 30 years depending on species. It consists of evolving a coppice into a high-stem tree by keeping only the best trunk and removing the others.