414 METERS OF TREED HEDGE AT SIMON’S (GEMBLOUX)

This involves the planting of 414 meters of double-row treed hedge, i.e., 1,656 plants and 41 standard trees, at Simon’s in Sauvenière (Gembloux).
Combined with wheat sowing and then dwarf white clover, all the elements are in place to recreate habitat, cover, and a wildlife corridor in agricultural plains.

Project Supported by

Allow us to tell you about Simon Lacroix, a farmer in Sauvenière (Gembloux)

Simon Lacroix has been a farmer since 2012. He practices market gardening and sells various varieties of squash (organic farming) and potatoes (conventional farming) at the Ferme de la Chapelle. Besides this, Simon has another passion: organic sheep farming. He also owns about thirty ewes and offers direct sales of meat boxes from the farm.

Five years ago, he committed to planting 900 meters of hedge, as well as shrubs in the corner of his fields; he also installed raptor perches in his crops. In 2022, PlantC crossed paths with him, and Simon’s ambition to establish a double-row hedge and standard trees resurfaced. We could only support him in his endeavor!

Let’s talk about this treed hedge!

The project is substantial! With PlantC, Simon aims to plant:

• 414 meters of native double-row hedges.
• 41 standard trees in the inter-row of the hedge.

This will be on a cultivated plot located in Gembloux, specifically in Sauvenière. The planting will take place this autumn-winter 2022/2023.

The planting will be done on tilled and sown soil (herbaceous cover that will act as “mulch”). Various species will be used, including the following: viburnums, buckthorns, field maples, elderberries, ligustrum, dog roses, bird cherries, European spindle trees, hazelnut trees, rowan trees, dogwoods, and hawthorns.

This is a double-row hedge, so 2 lines of hedge will be planted. The spacing between the lines will be 80/90 cm. Each species will be planted in groups of 3 to 5 plants, with 2 plants per linear meter. In total, nearly 1,656 plants will be planted.

Simon opted for sowing wheat before planting; the wheat will be laid at the base of the hedge and will serve as mulch. In the autumn of year N+1 after planting, dwarf white clover will then be sown. This provides food resources and refuges for agricultural wildlife! Finally, given the droughts affecting our country, this mulch and herbaceous layer will limit soil water evaporation.

That’s not all. Between these rows, we aim to plant 41 trees, or 1 tree every 10 meters, which will be grown as standard trees. At planting, the trees will be between 120 and 125 cm tall. They will be staked and protected from game damage. The chosen species will include: sessile oaks, Norway maples, field maples, lime trees, pedunculate oaks, and tulip trees.

The Hedge and its Functions

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

• to recreate shelter, cover, and a movement corridor for wildlife in the agricultural plain.
• protect and rebuild the soil of the plots.
• 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).
• planting 1 meter of hedge sequesters 120 kg of CO2 over 20 years.

The planting is scheduled for November 2022. We will be sure to publish information on this key stage and on the hedge’s growth.

The planting of the double-row treed hedge at Simon’s

The planting took place in winter 2022/2023. You will see in the photos that the planting was carried out using a planting machine. Equipment adapted for large-scale planting in agricultural settings!