Hedge winner trims little and lightly
Hedge winner trims little and lightly
THE best kept hedges are those that are trimmed rarely, and only very lightly, according to Somerset dairy farmer Tom Morris.
"A tightly trimmed hedge is like a cow without a tail. A really aggre-ssive farmer would say that my hedges are untidy. But I would say theirs are ugly. There is more to life than having tidy hedges."
Judges of the National Farm Hedgerow Challenge agreed with Mr Morris, awarding him first prize in the contest to highlight sound conservation on profitable farms.
Despite his title, the farmer with the best kept hedges in Britain, Mr Morris insists: "There is no secret to my success. It is just wanting the hedge to do a job – whether it is acting as a windbreak or a predator bank for insects." *
After receiving his £2500 prize from ornithologist Bill Oddie (left), Tom Morris explained his hedge management practice – trim lightly and rarely.