300 meters of hedges in Hoegaarden

This is a planting of 300 meters of single-row hedge in Hoegaarden, totaling 428 plants. Located in the Flemish agricultural plain, the hedge will play a crucial role in the ecological network of the area.

PROJECT SUPPORTED BY

A meaningful project!

Robert cultivates beets, rapeseed, cereals, chicory, malting barley, corn, … However, for 15 years now, he has been adopting conservation agriculture practices (no-till, in particular). It is logical to continue in this vein: to turn towards alternative agriculture, in favor of the environment, soil quality, and water.

Description of the hedge in Hoegaarden

Species planted:

• Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
• Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)
• Field maples (Acer Campestre)
• Common Hornbeams (Carpinus betulus)
• Hazel (Corylus avellana)
• Spindle trees (Euonymus europaeus)
• Guelder Roses (Viburnum opulus)

The planting took place on December 16, 2022. The soil was previously prepared by Robert to facilitate planting with a hoe-axe.

At the foot of this hedge, wood chips (BRF) are used as mulch to help the hedge plants grow while limiting competition from herbaceous species in the first 3 years of the hedge. This helps maintain a certain freshness in the soil. This is crucial in the current context of global warming where springs and summers experience extreme temperatures.

As with many of our projects, the objectives are as follows:

• to recreate shelter, food and movement corridors for the wildlife of the agricultural plain.
• to combat soil erosion.
• promote the protection of crops from climatic hazards (agroforestry schemes that promote water runoff, anti-erosion efforts, with a shading function and, to some extent, a windbreak).
• the hedge helps sequester carbon in the soil by 40.91 tons of CO₂ over 20 years.

What are the updates since planting?

The planting carried out in winter 2022 continues to grow. The hedge has come a long way. It was notably grazed by local herbivores. The mulching was applied by Robert. Vigilance remains necessary regarding high temperatures. We know the hedge is in good hands!

Discover the project’s evolution

In April 2025, we returned to the site to re-evaluate the plant recovery. It is clear that the recovery rate is over 90% and the average plant size is approximately 1.2m. This is despite vandalism observed on the green infrastructure, which was reported to us by Robert. Miscanthus-based mulch will be used this year.

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