Cool Facts We Learned

Through our project and further research, we learned some pretty cool things about Native Hedgerows all over the world.

-Native hedgerows serve multiple functions on an organic farm such as serving as a windbreaker for smaller fragile plants, reducing groundwater pollution and dust drift, increasing biodiversity, and creating a beneficial habitat for vital pollinators.

-The best way to keep unwanted plants out of native hedgerows is to establish lanes for mulching and mowing between plant rows. 

-Some native northwest plants that are known to attract animals and therefore are suitable for Oregon native hedgerows include elderberry, oak, serviceberry, Oregon ash, hawthorn, Oregon grape, and salal. 

-  It takes 4 to 8 years to start a hedgerow, and 30 years for it to reach maturity!

-The most effective hedgerows are oriented perpendicular to existing winds.

-Some species of plants should be avoided in hedgerows because of their invasive nature or popularity with certain pests or diseases. Blackberry bushes are known as an invasive species, and were one of the plants we removed from the native hedgerow at the OSU Organic Farm. 

-Ancient native hedgerows have been protecting many of the farms in England for centuries and have become a significant feature of the English landscape. A Countryside survey in 2000 revealed that England has over 350,000 miles of hedgerows. 

Above picture is a fully matured, ancient English Hedgerow

-The United States didn’t adopt hedgerows and use them as agricultural windbreakers until the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Shelterbelt program was created in the 1930’s. The program gave grants to farmer to plant trees around the borders of their farms to serve as barriers against wind and dust.