Weather experts at the Met Office have issued a warning to UK households this May over cutting and pruning hedges.
The forecaster has set out some key advice for gardeners in May as the weather finally warms up (even if it’s got rainy again just in time for the Bank Holiday).
The Met Office says temperatures should warm up in May, with 14-15C expected in most of the month, which in turn will spark some serious growth in plants, while the risk of frost falls to practically zero.
It says: “All of this daytime warmth will help to keep soils warm and it will allow plants to really begin to grow. Not just annuals but larger, more showy, plants will begin to spring to life this month. With clearer skies and warmth by day comes the prospect of clearer skies and cold at night. With an average monthly minimum of 6 °C for the UK, it is unusual to experience more than a couple of nights of frost, even in Scotland.”
As a result of this explosive plant growth, many gardeners will rush out and start cutting and pruning hedges as they start to overgrow fences, walls and borders.
But anyone cutting hedges should be aware that wild birds are protected legally, and disturbing them could land you in legal trouble.
The Met Office guidance adds: “May is a key month for nesting birds. As wild birds, their eggs and nests are protected by law, it is vital to check that any operations such as pruning or hedge-cutting don’t cause a disturbance that would cause birds to abandon their nests.
“As puddles are drying up thirsty broods will appreciate the supply of additional water.”
This is backed up by the Royal Horticultural Society. The RHS adds that it is an offence to intentionally destroy or disturb a bird’s nest while it’s in use or being built – and this carries a fine and even a six-month jail sentence.
It says: “When undertaking work on garden hedges, check first that there are no nesting birds, as it is an offence under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. The nesting season is usually considered to run from March to August, but it can be longer.”
The RSPB says in its guidance: “The RSPB adds: “The consequences for the above, even in the event of harm to a single bird, nest or egg, are an unlimited fine, up to six months in jail or both. Suffice to say, it is certainly not a risk worth taking.”
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