Note: the growth that has been cut off can be placed in water to stimulate the catkins, or it can be used for basketry, living willow structures, twig furniture, wattle fencing and more.

Here’s a quick guide to installing your own Willoweave fence on flat or gently sloping ground using willoweave fence panels and posts supported by compacted concrete. The same principles explained here apply to fence panels of different sizes.

STEP 1 – Remove the old fence.

If you are costructing a new fence then go to step 2. If you have an existing fence that needs replacing, the first job is to dismantle the old fence. There is no special technique involved here, just get hold of a pry bar and a decent lump hammer and get to work breaking the panels up into manageable pieces. If you’re installing a fence where there was previously a hedge or trees, you may find our guide to removing tree stumps helpful.

If the old fence posts are still standing, dig out the first and last posts and cut off the intermediate posts as low to ground level as possible. There is no point in trying to dig out all of the old concrete post supports as the new fence posts will be staggered between them.There is an important reason for not trying to put the new posts in the same position as the old ones. If you were to dig out the old concrete post supports, you would probably be left with a hole far to big for the new posts, in addition, the surrounding earth would be left unstable through disturbance. This would mean using far more concrete than is necessary to support the new posts and the disturbed ground would make it difficult to compact the new concrete. It is always preferable to install new posts into virgin ground. However, the first and last post holes usually have to go in the same position as the old posts which often means using more concrete.

Concrete fence posts can also be reduced to ground level:

* Break the base of each fence post apart using a sledge hammer; this will expose the four steel reinforcing bars.
* Use a hacksaw or bolt cutters to cut through the steel.

STEP 2  – Post positions

You should now have a clear area in which to run your new fencing. The first stage of installation is to figure out where the new posts are going to be situated.If there are old post supports left following the instructions in step 1 then You now need to stagger the new post holes in between the old posts. This may mean you will be left with 2 half panels of fencing at each end of the fence run. No problem, willoweave can manufacture made to measure panels for this purpose remember this when ordering.If this is a new fence then you can start at one end.

STEP 3 – Digging the fence post holes.

If you are installing a six foot fence, you will need 8 foot posts that are 3×3 inch in size. For other height fences we can advise on post sizes.  The post holes will need to be 2 feet deep. As a general guide, make the hole 9 inches square by 2 feet deep. If the surrounding soil is particularly light or sandy, increase the hole width by a couple of inches. The first and last post holes will probably end up being bigger than this due to the removal of the old concrete post supports.

Mark out the fence run with a line or string stretched between the first and last post positions. Hold the first post against the line and make sure it is vertical using a spirit level. Make a mark on the ground where the hole needs to be made.

If you have a pair of post hole diggers , you will be able to dig the post hole quickly and easily. If not, a garden spade will do but digging will become more awkward the deeper you get and you may need to get on your hands and knees to get the soil out from the bottom of the hole.
Try and keep the hole the same width for the entire depth and make the bottom of the hole flat, not rounded. The square bottomed shape of the hole will help prevent the post and concrete from any sideways movement during high winds. When you reach a depth of around 2 feet, drop the post in the hole and adjust until you have 6 feet 1 inch of post above ground level. This will be the post height, 6 feet for the panel with an inch to spare to allow for the post cap.

STEP 4 -  Installing the fence post and panel

Place the post in the hole and make sure it’s at the correct depth. The next step is to fix the fence panel. Using the fixings shown Using the angle brackets supplied by Willoweave attach one bracket per foot of panel height to the side framing timber of a panelusing 1 inch screws. It is best to attach these in a stepped fashion on either side of the framing timber. Attach the brackets to both ends of the panel at this stage. Once this is done attach one end of the panel to the post that has been placed in the ground.To avoid damaging the panel support the other end of the panel so it remains level and up-right.

STEP 5 -  Mixing the concrete for the fence posts.

This method of fencing requires semi-dry concrete to be thoroughly rammed around the post. There are a number of benefits to using this method over wet concrete:

* You can continue to work on the fence immediately.
* The rammed concrete ensures no movement in the post.
* Wet concrete requires the post to be supported until the concrete hardens.

It’s important to mix the concrete to the correct consistency. If possible, use standard ballast and cement. (Another option is to use Postcrete which does not require compacting – you’ll need at least two bags per fence post and it will cost more).

A post hole will typically require a 25kg bag of ballast mixed with cement at a ratio of 4:1. The cement comes in bags of 25kg so you’ll need a quarter of a bag of cement to each bag of ballast.

Using a wheelbarrow and shovel, mix the cement and ballast together whilst dry. Once thoroughly mixed, add the water. Start by adding just a few cupfuls and mix well. You are looking to achieve a semi-dry mix, not a saturated concrete. A good test of the right consistency is to take a handful of the mixture and squeeze it. If it compacts and sticks together, the mix is correct. If the mixture crumbles by itself, then it’s too dry; if it runs or is soft, it’s too wet.

STEP 6 -  Concreting the fence posts.

For this stage, you’ll need something to compact the concrete with. A length of 4×2″ timber is ideal, as is an old pick axe handle. Just make sure it has a flat bottom and is long enough and heavy enough to do the job.

Check the vertical position of the post against the line you set up earlier. Throw in a shovel full of concrete. Using the rammer, compact the concrete and then check the level and position of the post. Throw in another shovel full of concrete and compact. Repeat this process checking the post with a spirit level constantly. If the post starts to lean, simply ram the concrete on the side of the lean to bring it back level. Bring the concrete up to just below ground level. When compacting the concrete, the harder you ram the better so get stuck in!

Tip: Slope the top of the concrete away from the post slightly to prevent water laying against the timber; the post will last longer.

You now have the first post and panel in place. The position of the second post hole will be determined by the end of the panel. If the panel is in the way, it can be gently moved a few inches to one side to allow more room for digging. Or unscrew the attached end once the position of the second post has been established.

Once the second post hole is ready re-attach the panel at the opposite end, drop the post in and screw the panel before you begin to add the concrete. When screwing a panel to a post that is already concreted, make sure you ram the concrete again after fastening. This will ensure there is no movement in the post.

Repeat the procedure for all of the remaining posts and panels.

Don’t be tempted to pour water into the fence holes (unless you are using Postcrete, in which case follow the instructions on the bag). The concrete will set hard without being saturated.

Another method is to dig all the post holes and fix all the panels before any concreting takes place. However, this is only practical when using wet concrete or on short runs of fencing as you will need to get on the other side of the fence to ram the concrete properly.

STEP 7 -  Finishing the Job

Finally attach a post caps to each post with galvanised nails, When fixing wooden fence post caps, always pre drill the fixing holes. They split very easily.The last remaining job is to remove the black retaining straps that larger panels are supplied with (small panels may not have these on) these can be cut with a sharp knife.

STEP 8 -  After Care

Preservatives – All Willoweave panels have frame timber that is treated with preservative before manufacture. The willow is supplied in a semi-green state and is not suitable for immediate treatment, it should be allowed to age in situ and treated with a preservative once fully dry. Any wood preservative will do, however the traditional treatment uses a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and turpentine

Freshly cut Willow is flexible and pliable but must be treated with some care as any living plant should be. Ideally the rods should be used immediately upon cutting however they can be stood upright with the butts (thicker cut end) in 6 inches of water in a dark shed or garage for a couple of months before use. If this method is used then the bottom 6 inches of the rod should be removed immediately prior to planting. It will have formed roots, which will be damaged on planting, and this section of stem will be deleted of natural rooting hormone, so new roots will not form.

The willow we despatch should be unpacked immediately upon receipt and used within a couple of days or stood in water as described above.

Planting
The ground into which the structure is to be planted should be weed free. We recommend cutting down any existing vegetation or mowing the area if it is lawn, the inclusion of organic material in the soil is always a benefit. Spread woven polypropylene (Available from most garden centres), securing with ground staples at 1 metre intervals and ensuring that the area covered is at least 0.5m beyond the structure. To improve the aesthetics the polypropylene can be covered with bark chipping’s.

Most willows are pretty tolerant of soil and wind conditions however they do best on heavier soils or where the water table is high. They also require lots of light so avoid shaded positions. Willow is very attractive to rabbits and deer so protection may be required from these pests.

Caution willow roots travel a long way and will seek out drains and other sources of moisture. They also transpire a large quantity of water and will tend to dry out a heavy clay soil – so do not plant near to any building or foundations. We recommend a planting distance of 1.5 times the height you will be allowing the plant to grow too from any structure, building or drain.

Your Own Fedge
The name being coined for a living willow fence / hedge is a Fedge, based on  a criss cross pattern shown right, with vertical uprights at fedge ends and slanted weavers.
Getting Started
For a 15M long structure of a criss-cross pattern we would suggest you would need about 180 rods. The length of the rods will depend upon the finished fedge height. The table below can be used as guidance depending upon your fedge height. For extra strength straight upright rods can be included ( add 5o% to rods /metre below)