What is not allowed in the Benjes hedge?

You should avoid adding cuttings from blackberry plants, as these can send out strong shoots later on which could dominate the hedge. Fast-growing perennials such as goldenrod or nettles should also not be used in a dead hedge – or at least should be kept very much cut back – so that other plants also get enough light and space.

What wildlife lives in a dead hedge?

Small creatures and insects will colonise a dead hedge as the cuttings decompose. This in turn attracts birds and other garden creatures such as hedgehogs, which will seek out food and shelter in the hedge.

How to create a dead hedge

Q: What is a dead hedge?

A dead hedge, also known as a Benjes hedge, is a hedge made up of loosely stacked branches and twigs. It serves as a natural privacy screen and provides protection and food for insects and numerous other animals, such as hedgehogs.

A dead hedge is a good option for using old wood in a way that is sustainable and wildlife-friendly. Here is how to make one.

05.03.2025

What is a dead hedge?
Dead hedge: authorisation
Preparing to make a dead hedge
Instructions: Creating a dead hedge
Greening dead hedges
Dead hedge care
Important questions and answers

What is a dead hedge?

A dead hedge, also known as a Benjes hedge, is made up of loosely stacked branches and twigs. The name Benjes hedge refers to brothers Hermann and Heinrich Benjes; in the 1980s, these two landscape gardeners developed the environmentally friendly concept of a dead hedge as a way to make good use of waste from pruning.

Dead hedges serve an important ecological function, as they mean the energy-intensive shredding of wood is eliminated, along with the transportation by vehicle of waste branches. Another great thing about it: new layers of pruned wood can be added to the dead hedge every year.

STIHL tip

A greened dead hedge makes an ideal privacy screen and suits a wildlife-friendly garden as it provides shelter and food for creatures. Incidentally, it is not likely that a dead hedge will attract rats, as long as you do not leave any food waste in the hedge.

Dead hedge: authorisation required?

It is not possible to give a general answer about whether you will need permission to create a dead hedge. You may require authorisation to create a dead hedge, in particular if your planned dead hedge is close to a neighbouring property and is intended to be very tall. You can call your local authority to find out if you are allowed to build a deadwood hedge. You can usually find out the right point of contact at the local construction office or a local nature conservation authority.

Preparation

Before you start building a dead hedge, you should have the right tools and protective equipment ready. Here’s the complete list of everything you need:

Aerial view of the material and tools required to create a dead hedge, arranged on a lawn — First prepare the necessary utensils for the dead hedge.

Instructions: Creating a dead hedge

In just 7 simple steps, you can create an eco-friendly dead hedge for your garden – and enjoy doing it!

Start by thoroughly removing weeds from the soil. A digging hoe is good for this task.

Weeds are removed from the soil using a digging hoe — Digging hoes are ideal for weeding.

Now take the four small stakes, connected with twine, and position them in the ground. Use them to define the corners of a rectangular area for your dead hedge.

A man inserts small stakes connected by twine into the ground, to mark out the area — The area for the dead hedge is marked.

Shorten the tree poles to 1.50 m using the STIHL MSA 70 cordless chainsaw and sharpen one end of them. This makes it easier to drive the pole into the ground. You can smooth the edges of the cut surfaces with a cordless sander if needed.

A tree pole is sharpened with a STIHL MSA 70 cordless chainsaw — Sharpening makes the post easier to insert into the ground.

Place the first two posts at one end of the planned hedge, at the marked corners, and hammer them into the ground. Use a spirit level to ensure they are level. If necessary, tap the dead hedge posts in more deeply. Now hammer in all the remaining posts, evenly spaced along the long sides of the marked-out area, and hammered to the same height.

A man hammers in two tree poles as corner points for the dead hedge — Tree poles mark the corners of the dead hedge.

Now, take thicker branches and twigs that are too bulky for your dead hedge and cut them to your preferred length and shape. This can vary depending on the size of your deadwood hedge. A STIHL GTA 26 garden pruner is the most suitable tool for this.

A man cuts bulky branches to the desired length with a STIHL GTA 26 garden pruner — Larger branches for the dead hedge are cut to size.

Now let’s layer up the dead hedge! Distribute two to three layers of the thickest deadwood branches, with a diameter of more than 8-12 cm, loosely on the ground to create a base framework Then add armfuls of thicker and thinner branches and twigs in even layers along the entire length of the base frame to create your dead hedge.

A man stacks collected branches in the dead hedge — Branches are distributed on the base frame of the deadwood hedge.

To compact the dead hedge so it can serve as a privacy screen, step onto the layers of wood every so often, while wearing safety shoes. Any thin branches protruding from the side can easily be cut with STIHL PG 30 Bypass secateurs to keep the dead hedge in shape. You can also weave these thin, protruding side branches around the posts for extra stability.

A man prunes protruding branches of a dead hedge with STIHL PG 20 Bypass secateurs — The dead hedge is brought into shape.

How to green a dead hedge

If you want to green your dead hedge to make it into a privacy screen, or simply as a decorative feature in the garden, loosen the top layers of soil alongside the deadwood hedge and distribute seeds for annual climbing plants in the soil according to the instructions on the packet. Now take a watering can and water the seeds well to start greening your dead hedge.
By the way, domestic garden insects can also benefit from a greened dead hedge – the newly blooming flowers supply nectar and create a bee-friendly garden. Alongside a DIY insect hotel, a dead hedge also affords practical nesting opportunities.

Dead hedge care: tips

In order to maintain your dead hedge, you should regularly fill it with fresh cuttings and add dead wood from time to time, until the pile of dead wood settles and a natural hedge has been formed. However, avoid using cuttings from strong, dominating plants such as blackberries, so that other plants are not completely displaced.

Use a hedge trimmer to prune or clear any strong, dominant shrubs and perennials. You should take out the hedge trimmer from time to time to keep your dead hedge in shape. Find out when you can trim your hedge without disturbing nesting birds.

For dead hedge maintenance you should also add thin layers of leaves and soil between the wood cuttings – this will improve the stability of your dead hedge in no time at all.

Dead hedge: are there any disadvantages?

Once you’ve created a dead hedge, you need to be patient. Decades can pass before a dead hedge is greened and has become a real hedge.

What’s more, perennial weeds such as stinging nettle and goldenrod, as well as root-spreading weeds such as field bindweed, often establish themselves instead of the desired plants, especially on nutrient-rich soils. It is best to regularly cut these back so that they do not completely overwhelm the dead hedge. If you would like to create a dead hedge, the potential disadvantages are manageable and can be minimised with good care.