A fredge

[Annpan]

Part of our long established hedge was taken out to allow for a big digger to get access to our property.... only about 2 out of the 160 metres of hedge we have (Jees louise, I never thought about that before, no wonder we can never get it all cut)

Anywhoos, I was reading somewhere about a 'fredge' must have been in permaculture magazine I reckon..... it is a hedge, but made from fruiting bushes.

Has anyone done this before?

I have raspberries which I could easily use and also blackberries, I'm not sure how to propagate them but it can't be too hard...but all my other fruiting bushes have yet to establish themselves, and I'm not sure about taking cuttings. Gooseberry would probably be ideal in a hedge.


So basically, anyone got any thoughts on what might be good? do you think I can take cuttings from quite small gooseberry and currant bushes? ..... or is it quite safe to dig up a couple of the bushes to move them do you think? (I have 6 or 7 small soft fruit bushes)

Also, it might be quite nice to plant an apple tree amongst it? can you take cuttings straight from a bramley? and grow on their own root stock? (I seem to recall you can't do this with other apple trees)

[Odsox]

All apple trees will grow from cuttings, but ... especially Bramley will make a huge tree on it's own roots, up to 35 - 40 feet.
Maybe a crab apple would be better, useful for crab apple jelly and mint jelly.

Raspberries grow from root cuttings, those plants that come up out of the row, dig them up when dormant. Blackberries propagate from the tips of the canes touching the ground and taking root, normally something to avoid.

Blackthorn makes very good hedging and provides the makings of gallons of sloe gin
Wild roses or Rosa Ragusa are also good and makes rose hip syrup, mirabelles or cherry plums, walnut, hazel are worth considering too.

[Davie Crockett]

What a great idea! I've just done a quick google on fredge with no significant results, but edible hedge revealed this http://blog.pennlive.com/gardening/2007 ... hedge.html an American site, but many of the bushes mentioned will grow here.

Keep us posted!

[Annpan]

Thanks odsox


should have added... I have zero moneys to spend on this, so it all has to come from what I already have.... I have a teeny hazel planted in the orchard, I might move that then...

Any general rules about digging up trees and bushes to move them?



post crash - I'll check that out Davie, thanks

[Annpan]

funny, that article talks about using blueberries?

Do they grow on bushes? (that isn't as stupid a question as it sounds) We have some blaeberries (native cousin of blueberries) that grow here in the woods, they are on very small, ground cover type bushes .... lucky if they are even a foot off the ground... which is why I ask....

The hedge will have to be stock/sheep/dog proof at some point in the next 10 years (we are starting it off with a fence on one side)


thanks for all the suggestions

[JeremyinCzechRep]

I'd never heard the word before but what a sensible idea. Why do so many people surround their gardens with something as useless as privet? To keep it in shape I would recommend buying the very latest in cutting hedge technology. :-)

[bonniethomas06]

Hi Ann,

Sounds like a brilliant idea, I don't allow anything in my garden that doesn't produce!

Not sure about propagation, but just wanted to say that I have moved my fruit bushes loads of times (I am too indecisive) and they have been fine, just make sure they are well watered in the first weeks.

good luck!

P.p.s we also have blackthorn bushes and blimey, they will keep burglars out, with their 1 inch long spines! They grow really fast, so if you are a fan of sloe gin (who isn't?) then go for it.

[Annpan]

We have plenty of hawthorn in our hedge and I have often wondered why people bothered inventing barbed wire when there were thorns like that available...

Only problem with hawthorn is that I swear that it jumps at me, I can be walking along, minding my own business and all of a sudden OUCH a hawthorn branch has magically appeared at my hand and I have to prize the thorns out.....


Not sure I can drink enough sloe gin on my own to justify a bush really, plus I don't already have one and I'm not sure I know of one locally that I can even steal cuttings from...

[bonniethomas06]

We have LOADS of sloe bushes sprouting up all over our field...if I can dig one up Annpan, I will send it to you bare rooted!

[Annpan]

oh, thankyou, I'll get back to you on that... I've not started preparing the space yet and it would be simpler to have it go straight in when it arrives. :)

[Millymollymandy]

funny, that article talks about using blueberries?

Do they grow on bushes? (that isn't as stupid a question as it sounds) We have some blaeberries (native cousin of blueberries) that grow here in the woods, they are on very small, ground cover type bushes .... lucky if they are even a foot off the ground... which is why I ask....

I don't know a lot about this but my brother was just here and surprised at my blueberry 'bush' (in a pot, but almost a metre tall now) and was talking about when we used to pick bilberries in France which were only low growing ground cover..... guess that's the same as blaeberries then.

My only experience of blueberries is my one and only bush and to be honest I had no idea how it was going to grow when I bought it mail order. Looking at wikipedia they are related species but blueberries can grow up to 4 metres tall!

[Odsox]

I don't know a lot about this but my brother was just here and surprised at my blueberry 'bush' (in a pot, but almost a metre tall now)

There are two different species of blueberry, high bush and low bush.
I suppose I don't have to tell you what the characteristics of each one is.
High bush can apparently grow to 4 metres when it's happy, mine are low bush and will struggle to reach over 1 metre.

[Millymollymandy]

I hope to god mine are low bush then, cos they are so nice and easy to pick right now.