Native Wildlife Fruiting Hedge This is great mix of native hedgerow species to encourage wildlife into your garden. Every variety in this mix will produce a berry or nut that birds, bees and butterflies will love, it will also provide shelter for small mammals. This mix will grow into a more informal hedge or screen that can be clipped to shape but it is also well suited to growing into a taller hedge. This hedge mix is made up of our selection of 5 of the following bareroot varieties, with Hawthorn making up an average of 60% of the mix, the other 40% of the mix will depend on the availability of species at the time of ordering. Crataegus monogyna - HawthornCorylus avellana - HazelEuonymus europaeus - SpindleMalus sylvestris - Crab appleViburnum opulus - Guelder RoseLigustrum vulgare - Wild PrivetPrunus padus - Bird Cherry Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn Site This hedge will take inland exposure and will grow in any reasonable soil. Spacing We recommend planting this hedge at 3 plants per mtr in a staggered row, with 6 to 9’’ between the rows. Planting You could plant the varieties as they come out of the parcel, but for best results, we recommend planting the varieties in groups that repeat themselves down through the hedge. Pruning When first planted, a prune will encourage good bushy growth, how hard you cut the plants depends on how low down you want them to bush from, at the very least prune off any whippy growth or prune down to 1 ft. Ongoing this hedge can get a trim in early Spring. For mature hedges, avoid cutting during the nesting season between early March and the end of August. Care Keeping any young hedge weed and grass free is vital to the overall vigour and health of the hedge. Using weed membrane keeps back weeds and insulates the roots and will greatly increase growth rates, as well as cutting down on your weeding work. Mulching is another great option for insulating the roots and holding back weeds, bark mulch is the most commonly used medium. Important Suitable varieties in this hedge can change depending on availability, with the exception of Hawthorn which must always be included in the Mix.  These hedges are hand picked and take time to gather, if coming to the nursery, all mixed hedges must be preordered at least two days in advance.