As a deadwood hedge, prunings come into their own and enrich the garden as an oasis of life. Read this green guide for a concise definition with notes on the concept and benefits. You can find out here how to properly create and green a deadwood hedge.

A deadwood hedge has a high ecological value

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. What does deadwood hedge mean?
  3. Creating a deadwood hedge Instructions
  4. Deadwood hedge greening ideas
  5. Deadwood hedge care tips
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. the essentials in brief

    • Deadwood hedge is a loose heap of prunings between two rows of posts, which serves as a habitat for plants, insects and small animals.
    • Natural hobby gardeners can build a deadwood hedge themselves from thick branches driven into the ground, spaced 60-100 cm apart and 0.5-2 m wide.
    • The greening of a deadwood hedge should be accelerated by sowing or planting native flowers, perennials and shrubs.

    What is a deadwood hedge?

    A deadwood hedge harbors a lot of life

    As a hedge, profane deadwood is transformed into a source of life. This insight was propagated in the early 1980s by the well-known nature photographer, writer and landscape gardener Hermann Benjes. In his search for an uncomplicated and meaningful use of prunings, the ecologically valuable concept took concrete form in his writings. The following definition sums up what is behind the term deadwood hedge:

    • definition: Deadwood hedges are loose, linear layers of mostly thin cut wood, in which plants, insects and small animals gradually settle.

    Based on the founder and advocate of the ecological principle, the deadwood hedge is also called Benjes hedge. With the slogan "Long live the deadwood", the German Nature Conservation Union took up the concept and developed it further. For all generations of gardeners, NABU advertises the deadwood hedge as one of the liveliest habitats in our natural environment.

    concept and benefits

    According to the basic principle, a deadwood hedge is created without replanting. Prunings piled up between simple wooden posts offer flying seeds a natural basis for life. A varied plant community develops, which insects and small mammals appreciate as a source of food. At the same time, the wall takes on important protective functions for the flora and fauna that are housed there. A lively mini ecosystem is gradually developing. At the same time, the hobby gardener always knows what to do with the clippings from his trees and benefits from a privacy screen for free.

    tips

    The deadwood hedge is gaining ground as a natural alternative to costly fences, massive walls and hedges that require intensive maintenance. From a height of 180 centimeters, a Benjes hedge as a self-made privacy screen fends off prying eyes and protects privacy in the garden. Caution: As with all fencing, the deadwood hedge may also require a separate building permit.

    Creating a deadwood hedge - building instructions for beginners

    There are several ways to create a deadwood hedge

    Have you been fascinated by the proven concept of the Benjeshecke with its many advantages? Then integrate the natural oasis of life into your garden with simple means. The following assembly instructions explain step by step how to properly create a deadwood hedge:

    materials and tools

    Hobby gardeners don't have to dig deep into their pockets if they build a deadwood hedge themselves. The following materials are already at hand in the garden and tool box. Green waste disposal facilities, road maintenance depots or horticultural companies will be happy to provide suitable wooden posts free of charge to those who collect them themselves:

    • thick, straight branches or wooden posts 150-200 cm long (ideally hardwood, such as oak, beech, apple tree, pear tree and similar)
    • Marking cord with small pegs
    • Ruler, carpenter's pencil
    • Wooden mallet, fence mallet or sledgehammer
    • ladder
    • hand saw

    Step-by-step instructions

    The best time to start building your own Benjeshecke brand is in spring, when pruning is on the agenda for most trees and shrubs. Please note that the following information on the structure, width and spacing of the posts is only intended as a suggestion and leaves plenty of scope for individual solutions. How to properly build a deadwood hedge:

    1. Measure the length of the hedge
    2. Using stretched cord, mark 2 parallel rows of posts for a hedge width of 0.5 to 2 m
    3. Sharpen the wooden post at the bottom
    4. Mark an impact depth of 30 cm on each post in a clearly visible manner
    5. Lay out posts on each side of the hedge at a distance of 60-100 cm along the strings
    6. pick up each post, climb the ladder and hammer it into the ground up to the mark
    7. Rule of thumb: the shorter the clippings, the shorter the distance between the posts

    In the last step, fill the hedge frame with branches and twigs. Ideally, start with thicker branches onto which you pile thinner twigs and twigs. Cut off overhanging shoots. You can weave long branches between the posts to improve the stability of the deadwood hedge.

    In the following video you can see how a deadwood hedge is created in gardener Birgit Recktenwald's natural garden.

    youtube

    Greening a deadwood hedge - ideas for the planting plan

    Many years pass before a lush community of plants appears in a deadwood hedge without you having to do anything. You can accelerate the growth process within the wall by integrating native plants into the structure. The following table may inspire you to plant your Benjes hedge creatively and true to the concept:

    perennials/flowers botanical name shrubs botanical name climbing plants botanical name
    columbine Aquilegia vulgaris cornel Cornus mas Yellow clematis Clematis akebioides
    wood anemone Anemone nemorosa sour thorn Berberis vulgaris knotweed Polygonum aubertii
    bluebell Campanula latifolia Buddleia Buddleja davidii lady's mantle Alchemilla mollis
    mullein verbascum sloe Prunus spinosa Real woodruff Galium odoratum
    Red Foxglove Digitalis purpurea hawthorn Crataegus monogyna perennial vetch Lathyrus latifolius
    Adderhead Echium vulgare elder Sambucus nigra
    hollyhock Alcea rosea hazel Corylus avellana
    forget Me Not Myosotis sylvatica euonymus Euonymus europaeus
    wild teasel Dipsacus sylvestris Copper Rock Pear Amelanchier lamarckii
    wood lady fern Athyrium filix femina common honeysuckle Lonicera xylosteum

    Simply sow perennials and flowers before you fill the first layer of clippings into the hedge frame. The airy, loose layering lets in enough sunlight for the seeds to germinate. Place offshoots of the shrubs of your choice in the hedge floor. Young shrubs are better able to meet the challenges of planting a deadwood hedge if you prefer cornel, sour thorn or elder on the windowsill from February. In the middle/beginning of May, put climbing plants on the outside so that the deadwood hedge is in the limelight with a splendor of summer flowers.

    digression

    Dead wood hedge for the horse paddock

    A Benjes hedge is also a good choice for horse pasture

    If horses had a say in the construction of a paddock, they would enthusiastically advocate a deadwood hedge. The clever horses don't give a damn about the ecological value of deadwood. From the point of view of hungry horse eyes, the paddock is fenced by an inviting branch bar, which invites you to enjoy a nibble. For this reason, a Benjes hedge within the reach of a horse's mouth may only be equipped with tolerable, non-toxic clippings. These include, for example, the branches of fruit trees and berry bushes. On the other hand, taboo are: maple (Acer), barberry (Berberis), broom (Cytisus scoparius), boxwood (Buxus), yew (Taxus baccata), laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides) and especially deadly poisonous ivy (Hedera helix).

    Dead wood hedge - care tips

    The deadwood hedge trumps as an easy-care and useful component in the natural garden design. Light maintenance work only becomes necessary over time. The following tips point the way to a perfectly cared for Benjeshecke:

    • Fill up: regularly top up with fresh prunings to compensate for decomposed cuttings
    • pruning: radically shorten or clear strong-growing shrubs within the deadwood hedge
    • interlayers: sporadically insert thin layers of soil, leaves or perennial clippings between the clippings
    • pour: water occasionally during periods of summer drought

    Widespread weeds cannot escape the paradisiacal conditions of a deadwood hedge. For this reason, annoying weeding is also part of the care program.

    frequently asked Questions

    Which animals does the deadwood hedge in the garden serve as a habitat?

    There is a lot going on in an established deadwood hedge. Wild bees, beetles, spiders and earthworms arrive in the second year. The filling starts to decompose, which produces valuable humus as the basis of life for many plants. Now it won't be long before hedgehogs, frogs, toads, dormouse and birds discover the deadwood hedge as a retreat for themselves.

    At which location can you create a deadwood hedge in the garden?

    You can create a deadwood hedge at almost any location in the garden. A sunny to semi-shady location is highly recommended, as many plants and animals like it very much. A place in the shade is possible, but carries the risk that only a few plants will settle by seed drift. Also, avoid a damp, waterlogged garden soil, because here the natural decomposition process can be impaired by the formation of rot and mold.

    Can clippings from any type of wood go into the deadwood hedge?

    Caution is advised with all trees and shrubs, which happily sprout again even after a radical pruning. These include, for example, blackberry rods. The clippings of fast-growing trees and shrubs, such as birch, ash or sycamore are also of concern. Due to the invasive character, the clippings sprout within the Benjes hedge. The growth rockets quickly overgrow the deadwood hedge and rob other plants of their access to light.

    How can you improve the appearance of a deadwood hedge?

    In the early days, spots of color in a deadwood hedge are scarce. Color comes into play by placing colorful flower pots upside down on the posts. If you fill the pots with wood wool beforehand, insects will be happy about an inviting retreat. A small hedgehog house that you integrate into the deadwood hedge when setting up is decorative and useful. Place rustic planters next to your Benjes hedge, lavishly planted with wildflowers, the seeds of which will later contribute to the greening.

    tips

    In the self-created cottage garden, the deadwood hedge acts as a perfect privacy screen for the compost heap. Boring, disease-prone box trees have long had their day as bed borders. Instead, a decorative miniature Benje hedge gives the vegetable beds an authentic flair.

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Garden design