Hedgerow Resources
Explore this cornucopia of resources for reaching community partners that can provide technical help, funding, and where to access more how-to background and support. Each of the categories below expands out to numerous resources!
Funding & Cost-Share Options
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Public agencies can help you with many aspects of successfully implementing a hedgerow, including the financing.
While a specific individual program may not pay 100% of the costs, your local service providers can often assist you in finding additional funding from other sources to make up the difference. Such sources might include US Fish & Wildlife, Salmon Recovery Board, other USDA programs in partnership with local agencies and landowners, and more.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has incentive programs to help with hedgerow establishment. Contact your local NRCS Service Center office, as well as your local conservation district.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): This program provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation or improved or created wildlife habitat. The program is administered through the USDA NRCS via local field offices.
There are several avenues to funding hedgerow projects via EQIP, including these important Conservation Practices:
Hedgerow Planting (422)
Field Border (386)
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): This program offers technical and financial assistance to help agricultural and forest producers expand or improve on existing conservation practices, while still maintaining their baseline level of conservation. The program specifies Enhancements that agricultural producers can engage in, and several of those help landowners with hedgerow projects.
Some possible Enhancements include:
Planting for carbon sequestration and storage (E612B) | Natural Resources Conservation Service
Tree/shrub planting for wildlife habitat (E612G) | Natural Resources Conservation Service
Enhanced Wildlife Habitat Management for Upland Landscapes (E645D) | Natural Resources Conservation Service
Establish pollinator habitat (E420A) | Natural Resources Conservation Service
Establish pollinator and/or beneficial insect and/or Monarch habitat (E512I)
Conservation cover for pollinators and beneficial insects (E327A)
Washington State Conservation Commission & local conservation districts: The Commission offers various grant funds for voluntary stewardship actions, and your local conservation district service provider can assist you in accessing the most appropriate funding option for your project. Funding examples can be found at the Commission’s website, and applications are made through your local conservation district. Find your local conservation district office here.
Washington State Department of Agriculture offers Infrastructure Grants that could support hedgerow projects, possibly in tandem with other funding sources.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program: In exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from production and establishing permanent resource-conserving plant species, farmers and ranchers are paid an annual rental rate along with other federal and state incentives. This program is administered through the USDA Farm Service Agency and local conservation districts.
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Washington Farmland Trust offers “Advancing Farm Sustainability” microgrants for more sustainable agriculture, including conservation buffers/hedgerows.
The Tilth Alliance, through its Washington State Organic & Sustainable Farming Fund, supports conservation practices such as hedgerows that align with the Fund’s priorities. Projects must be completed in a 9-month period, and applications open once per year.
The Rodale Institute offers microgrants of a maximum of $2,000 to farmers who are Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color. The program is geared to producers whose operations are organic or who aspire to transition to organic farming.
Technical Assistance
Local & regional USDA NRCS office staff can provide extensive technical assistance. Find your local office by searching for your local NRCS Service Center office or contacting the Washington state office.
County conservation district staff can provide you with services, including assessing potential grant partnerships. Find your local conservation district office here.
Local WSU Extension offices may have expertise in hedgerows, restoration planting or landscaping through their agricultural field agents & faculty; Master Gardener programs; or various natural resources/water resources programs.
Xerces Society offers publications by region regarding hedgerows, including an installation guide for Western Oregon & Washington.
Washington Farmland Trust offers various technical assistance programs.
Site Assessment & Site Preparation Resources
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Free Underground Utility Locate (“Call before you dig”): Call 811.
More details on the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission website.
WUTC list of private companies for locating utilities outside the boundaries of the free service.
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Free wood chips and delivery from ChipDrop: ChipDrop matches people who want free wood chip mulch with arborists and tree companies who are trying to get rid of it.
Contact arborists in your area to see if you can obtain wood chips from them. The International Society of Arboriculture helps you find arborists nearby.
Search online for other tree professionals not certified by ISA who might also have wood chips; search “tree services” in your region.
Using Arborist Wood Chips as Landscape Mulch, WSU Publication FS160E. Peer-reviewed article detailing the reasons for using arborist wood chips as landscape mulch and addressing common misconceptions about the material.
Prof. Linda Chalker-Scott’s Mythbusting Fact Sheets
Other WSU Extension Publications on non-organic mulches.
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Resources from Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation:
Landowners can submit a request to learn if there are known records on their site by sending an email to recordrequest@dahp.wa.gov and asking for records specific to your property. DAHP staff will send a Property Request Form to complete and return. (The form asks for specific location information, proof of ownership, and has a confidentiality clause.)
If there are questions about being in an area of concern, call the main line (360-586-3065) to be directed to the reviewing archaeologist for your location.
This website has some more information on submitting a public records request: https://dahp.wa.gov/node/44/records-management-program/public-disclosure
You might also want to view the Predictive Model in the DAHP online portal, WISAARD. Click this link https://wisaard.dahp.wa.gov/Map and zoom to the location or enter the address in the search bar; wait for it to populate in the drop down and then select it. Then turn on the Predictive Model layer in the legend on the right hand side. This will provide an idea of the likeliness of finding cultural resources for your location and the recommendation of surveys.
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USDA NRCS how-to fact sheet “Estimating Soil Moisture by Feel and Appearance” helps better target irrigation timing based on actual soil conditions (6 pp., 1998).
Soil Moisture Monitoring: Low-Cost Tools and Methods (12 pp., 2006) from National Center for Appropriate Technology – ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
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Determining soil texture and why it matters
USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey provides the most comprehensive resource for mapped soils data.
Determine approximate soil texture through the hand-feel/ribbon method or the “jar” method; many Web resources, including videos—search the internet for these terms.
Soil texturing & sourcing soil fact sheet.
Determining drainage rate
Soil texture can provide clues about drainage, but is not a definitive guide (for instance, clay soils might still have adequate drainage capacity for many plants if there are larger particles not revealed in your test, or if the clay is a lens above freer-draining substrates).
The easiest way to confirm drainage capacity in the area to be planted is to dig a DIY percolation test.
Dig a hole at least 2 ft. x 2ft. and fill it with 8-12 inches of water.
Track the amount of time that water takes to drain.
Calculate drainage rate by dividing inches of water by hours to drain (e.g., 12 inches drains in 16 hours is 12 divided by 16 or 0.75 inches/hour)
Drainage rates >0.5 inch/hour are “well draining.” Rates between 0.1 & 0.4 inch/hour are slow draining. Rates <0.1 inch/hour are extremely poorly draining.
Determining if subsurface water (natural underground springs, perched groundwater, or seasonally high water table) exists on site
Use Web-based mapped surveys, including the USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey and your county’s https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htmGIS mapping system (e.g., “Geodata”).
During the rainy season, dig a pit test hole at least 2 ft. deep in the area intended for planting; seasonally subsurface water should either flood the hole or present as muddy soils are you near the bottom of the 2 ft. hole.
Signs of natural subsurface water might include spongy soils and the presence of water-loving plants (such as skunk cabbage) seemingly out of place (e.g., no obvious signs of mucky soils/standing water).
Learn how to confirm suspected subsurface natural springs, seasonally high groundwater, or perched groundwater by searching the internet for many Web resources on methods available.
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Invasive Plant Species: Identifying & Eradicating Invasive Plant Species
Native Plant Salvage Foundation webpage summarizing weed control in Washington state, including links to specific counties with excellent resources
“Bees & Noxious Weed Control: Finding common ground” online brochure
Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation District WeedWise Program
20-min. video on invasive plant species in Washington State (WSU Ext./NPSF)
Solarization & occultation (“tarping”)
Sheet Mulching Basics, a simple guide on how to begin sheet mulching from WSU Extension/Native Plant Salvage Foundation.
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Sound Native Plants’ (Olympia, WA) Fact Sheet on PLANT PROTECTORS
USDA NRCS Tree Shelter Installation and Maintenance Fact Sheet Applicable to all deciduous tree planting practices (2 pp., March 2011)
Borrow used plant protectors by contacting your local conservation district or USDA NRCS office to see if any are available; your local county’s water resources or public works departments might also have used devices from past planting projects.
Buy new protectors through forestry-supply & other companies. Search the terms “plant protection tubes,” “tree shelters,” “tree tubes,” and “plant protection cages.”
NRCS Fact sheet, Protecting Trees & Shrubs from Deer (4 pp, 2008).
NRCS Summary of Techniques to Reduce Deer Browse Damage on Newly Planted Trees and Shrubs (15 pp., 2007)
King County’s Beaver Management Tools Literature Review and Guidance
Beaver Institute: Tree Protection | Beaver Institute, Inc.
Beavers, Wetlands & Wildlife Trees & Plantings | Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife
Sound Native Plants’ fact sheet: WHAT TO DO ABOUT BEAVERS!?!
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Critical Areas & Endangered Species: If working in known (or suspected) critical areas or with threatened or endangered fish, insects or mammals nearby, seek guidance about timing and other actions you need to take. Staff at local resource agencies can ensure you’re following appropriate guidelines and won’t be in jeopardy of inadvertently harming critical species; they will also advise you if you need to contact the Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Contact for support/guidance:
Your county planning department
Your local USDA NRCS office
Preventing sedimentation in waterways: If working directly adjacent to a waterway and engaging in soil-moving or soil-disturbing activities that are sufficiently disruptive to cause migration of sediment into the stream, you need to employ temporary sediment control system, such as silt fences/hay bales.
For support, contact your local conservation district.
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Live stakes/cuttings overview from Sound Native Plants (Olympia, WA)
Planting live stakes fact sheet (WSU/NPSF)
Planting live stakes fact sheet (Sound Native Plants)
Plant it Right fact sheet (WSU)
“Plant it Right” video
Bare-Root Planting Guidelines (King Conservation District)
Planting on a slope video
Tree & Seedling Care – USDA NRCS
Plant handling guidance to prevent damage/mortality – USDA NRCS “Technical Notes No. 45: Temporary Storage and Handling of Container, Bareroot and Cutting Stock,” July 2005.
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Item description
Plant Resources
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Online plant calculators can assist in estimating the number of plants that will be needed for a given space, but they will almost always result in too many plants called out for. However, they provide a good baseline starting point. Search the internet for various examples.
We like this one developed by ecological restoration experts at Sound Native Plants. Though it is for restoration/revegetation, it is close to accurate for hedgerow applications.
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Washington Native Plant Society’s online native plant directory. Sponsored by the Native Plant Society of Washington, this website describes many aspects of Washington state native plants, including identifying features, plant propagation, landscape uses, ethnobotanical uses, and conservation and restoration uses. Other resources include photos, sources for buying native plants, a plant identification feature, where to find native plant display gardens, and resources for identifying invasive species.
Xerces Society: Pollinator Conservation Resources: Pacific Northwest Region | Xerces Society
Xerces Society’s resource guides to native plants & sourcing bee-safe plants.
WSU Extension: Washington State University’s Pacific Northwest Plants database provides photos and details the cultural requirements and plant characteristics of 805 native and water-wise plants, including common cultivars. Plants featured are likely to be found in PNW nurseries and gardens. Search the database by common or Latin name.
Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences – Department of Horticulture site contains images and information on over 1,800 landscape plants, mostly woody. Search plants by either Latin (e.g. Acer) or common names (e.g. Maple). This website features landscape plants of Oregon, many of which overlap with plants grown in Washington. It includes excellent plant photographs, winter hardiness, native range, and cultural and botanical information. If you’re unsure about the name of a particular plant, the website incorporates a useful plant identification component.
Great Plant Picks: This resource from the Elizabeth C. Miller Garden includes lists of drought-tolerant plants, pollinator-supporting plants, and a plant database searchable by Latin plant name or common name.
Sound Native Plants Species Selection Guide and descriptions of native trees & shrubs are useful summaries for many hedgerow plant species. This website lists characteristics of native shrubs and trees not found on many other websites, including transplanting success, growth rate and ultimate mature form along with more typical soil moisture and sun/shade requirements. You can also download valuable information sheets and plant lists for specific growing conditions, as well as utilize a plant quantity calculator.
Burke Herbarium Image Collection website, hosted by the University of Washington Herbarium at the Burke Museum, brings together 88,115 photographs and informational contributions from numerous photographers and botanists regarding vascular plants, macrofungi, and lichenized fungi of Washington state. Each listing also includes distribution maps, species descriptions, and links to additional resources.
U.S. Forest Service Fire Effects Information System website is an online collection of reviews of the scientific literature about fire effects on plants and animals and about the impacts of fire on plant communities in the U.S. The most useful portion of the website for plant selection are the Species Reviews. These include information on plant, lichen, and wildlife species’ life history, ecology, and relationship to fire. They are available for more than 1,200 species occurring throughout the United States and each year more species are added to the database.
University of Washington Plant Profiles: Using the search engine in this vast database of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, you can find listings of specific plants of interest, including PNW natives, including botanical, cultural and historical information. Interactive maps will direct you to locations in the UW Arboretum or Center for Urban Horticulture where you can find and view plant specimens.
Plants for a Future, a nonprofit organization in the U.K., offers an online database that features over 8,000 edible and useful plants that grow in temperate climates, including the maritime Pacific NW. In addition to photographs, it includes characteristics such as hardiness zones, culture, propagation, hazards, physical descriptions, synonyms, habitats, and edible, medicinal and other uses.
Native Plants PNW: An Encyclopedia of the Cultural & Natural History of NW Native Plants, an online resource developed by a local horticulturist. Though not an exhaustive list, each entry in the alphabetical index provides the sources for the plant’s name, photos, distribution, growth, habitat, diagnostic descriptions, how to use the plant in the landscape, and its cultural use by people and wildlife. Useful links and references to other databases and sources of information about native plants are included.
California Native Plant Society (Calscape) online resources include detailed growing information and photographs of California native plants, maps of where these plants are found in the wild, and sources for purchasing plants. Information found here is particularly useful when looking for drought-tolerant plants, but watch for plants’ winter hardiness since many of the plants described are native to Zones 8 and above, and typically Western Washington landscapes require plants hardy to Zones 7 and below (with microclimates in some parts of our region OK with Zone 8 plants).
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Local Conservation Districts in each county offer winter bare-root plant sales, offering capacity to buy fewer plants than the minimum orders required by wholesale bare-root providers.
Local WSU Master Gardener programs in each county have annual/bi-annual plant sales.
Native Plant Salvage Foundation (Thurston Co.) offers bi-annual native & water-wise plant sales featuring hedgerow species.
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Reforestation, Nurseries, & Genetic Resources (RNGR) Directory/searchable database for suppliers of native plants & seeds (collaboration of USDA Forest Service & Southern Regional :Extension Forestry).
Burnt Ridge Nursery & Orchards (Lewis & Thurston Counties). Excellent for adding nut trees, fruit trees, berries to hedgerow planting, plus native trees & shrubs.
Ecotone Plants LLC (Lopez Island) specializes in “adaptable woody perennials” and features many evergreen trees and shrubs ideal for hedgerows, including hard-to-find species. Primarily sells retail, but discounts available for some projects—inquire.
Firetrail Nursery (deliveries within Puget Sound region). Strictly wholesale, resellers permits required. Wide range of native plants, potted stock.
Fourth Corner Nurseries (Bellingham, but ships throughout the region). Specializes in bare-root, plugs, live stakes, seeds, and bulbs.
Inside Passage Seeds (Port Townsend, but ships region-wide). Offers seeds for a wide range of herbaceous and woody native plants.
The Plant Place Nursery (Thurston County). Wide range of native & water-wise plants; will source hard-to-find plants. Delivery within the region.
Plantas nativas LLC ( Bellingham). Potted stock, seeds. Offers delivery.
Puget Sound Plants (Snohomish County & Thurston County). Wide range of native & water-wise plants; will source hard-to-find plants. Delivery within the region.
Sound Native Plants (Thurston County). Specializes in live stakes, plugs, ecological restoration consulting and installations.
Tadpole Haven (Woodinville).Wholesale/retail. Wide selection of native plants.
Wabash Farms native plant specialty nursery (Eatonville). Strictly wholesale, but can sell to businesses and manage tax. Wide selection of native hedgerow species. Will deliver within the region.
Washington Association of Conservation Districts Plant Materials Center (Bow). Specializes in bare-root woody plants and live stakes.
Watershed Garden Works (Longview). Wholesale/retail native plant specialty nursery.
Webster Forest Nursery (WA DNR-managed). Bare-root conifer seedlings.
Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery (Gig Harbor). Wholesale/retail; wide selection of native woody and herbaceous species.
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Additional Reading
Pacific Northwest Native Plants & Other Plant Resources
Kruckeberg, Arthur R. and Linda Chalker-Scott. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest, Third Edition. University of Washington Press, 2019.
Leigh, Mike. Grow Your Own Native Landscape: A guide to identifying, propagating, an landscaping with Western Washington native plants. WSU Extension Native Plant Salvage Project, 1999.
O’Sullivan, Penelope. The Homeowner’s Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook: The essential guide to choosing, planting, and maintaining perfect landscape plants. Storey Publishing, 2007.
Creating Habitat & Support for Pollinators
Link, Russell. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1999.
Tallamy, Douglas W. Nature’s Best Hope: A new approach to conservation that starts in your yard. Timber Press, 2019.
Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing Nature Home: How native plants sustain wildlife in our gardens.
Timber Press, 2007.
Useful Hedgerow Guide for California
Earnshaw, Sam. Hedgerows and Farmscaping for California Agriculture: A Resource Guide for
Farmers. Community Alliance with Family Farmers, 2018.