If you owned some land, what trees would you plant?

[rich59]

In my local wood grow some imports. Not sure whether they would find a place, but maybe -

The Cherry Laurel - nice evergreen hedge and edible fruit. Could make almond flavour if one is ultra careful about the cyanide levels! It does seem to out compete the lower levels, so one might have to keep it in check.

The Rhododendron - very pretty, but choose the wrong one and it will take over the lower levels. I think on balance it would be out, not in.

Depends if you are a purist for native species or more cosmopolitan I suppose.

By the way I found a good piece on the history of Leylandii. Quite a young tree. Maybe we just haven't explored its uses enough. See http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/cupr_ley.cfm Perhaps it could find a role in creating a fast screen or wind break in the early years of the planted wood allowing others to thrive. Then I could eventually burn it to make way for others.

 

[troyka]

you know you could always plant a tree on land u dont own.. kind of guerilla gardening

 

[British Red]

Toddy, pretty but poisonous I'm afraid....they are indeed used for making spindles and other fine grained items. Not the worlds most useful tree but I hope theres room in our wood for a few just to give a nice variety!

Red

 

[Ralph]

Lets see, everything that has been said, with the addition of sweet chestnut, a couple of willows, birch(I'm surprised that not many people have said this yet ), beech(It would be lined with a line of copper beech), a small patch of various fruit trees, a a single Ebony that marks the exact centre of the wood .

 

[al21]

I'd have Medlar on my list too. I think you've already covered other varieties I'd plant. Maybe some lower growing species like Osier and Dogwood, Dog Rose, Honey Suckle, Old Mans Beard etc.

Oh and for no other reason than being a Python fan. A Larch!

 

[falling rain]

definately some fruit trees, especially apple , and Pine. Green and a friend all year round

 

[locum76]

definately some fruit trees, especially apple , and Pine. Green and a friend all year round

i agree, lots of apples, plums, cherrys etc for fruit. and pine because it makes me feel nice and safe. also blackthorn because ther aint enough in my bit to make gin with.

 

[rich59]

I would plant a tree from Narnia. Then it had grown full I could cut it down and make a wardrobe......

I would not necessarily choose England to make my wood. I might choose..... The Seychelles and grow palms of various sorts - the sort with the biggest fruit in the world, ordinary coconuts, palms for oil, palms for wine. Rattan might make it too. Oooooohh and huge bamboos from Japan too and maybe the Baobab tree from Africa.

Where would you want your wood to grow?

 

[Montivagus]

I wouldn’t plant anything! Assuming my land wasn’t miles from the nearest trees I think I’d just fence it off and wait…..
Natural selection is what should dictate what grows and where. For the long term health of woodland I believe the nursery rearing and transplanting of trees should end. Trees that have fought from seed for a place in the ecosystem will more often than not be healthy and strong. Trees that have been grown in a plastic tube in an artificial environment must be second best. Indeed many is the tube tree I’ve seen bent double and broken within a very short space of time due to its bolting in the tube and reliance on artificial support!
Let nature get on with it and then manage what springs up, if you must, that way you’ll have a better chance at rearing a fuller ecosystem including fungi, insects, birds,…..

 

[Toddy]

D'you know I never gave nursery plants a thought; we transplant trees all the time. My garden is surrounded by trees and they seed.........prolifically If I don't remove them and the seedlings I wouldn't get out the front door in a year or so. In a normal year I plant out elsewhere (someone called it guerilla gardening ) maybe 50 tree seedlings, and I give away about the same potted up. Everything from apple to rowan, oak to hornbeam.

The only problem with doing it the natural way is that you'll get pioneer species like birch almost to the exclusion of anything else. Over time that will change, but it'd be a very limited habitat for an awful long time.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Wayland]

I like the idea of a central tree, ebony was mentioned, but a redwood could be interesting.

Mulberry is a great fruit too, there was a big established tree on a site I used to do LH events at. We could provide pudding for the whole camp from that.

 

[FeralSheryl]

Mixed native woodland for me, smaller species round the perimmeter, to provide fruit and nuts, going to big oaks and ash etc in the middle.
Non of it would be planted in lines (hate that).
Also, I would have to have at least 1000 acres, we are talking hypotheticaly here.
Thing is though, I can't wait for it to grow up, so I will just have to go and buy a wood and make do.........

Yup, I agree 100% but I'd have Beech in the middle of my wood too.

 

[swyn]

I like Troyka's idea of guerilla planting. Although you would be surprised, Jon Pickett, at the rate young trees do grow especially on a site that has not had trees on before or you are doing a species change (simliar to crop rotation although on a much greater timescale) I have planted several small mixed stands, some on council land near me guerilla style, others on places where farming is no longer viable (in corners of fields to round them off) The patch on council land is now a wood where you could sling a hammock or several! I planted this 15 years ago (in a curve). The trees are 25'+ tall and 9" diameter, it is really quite dark in there in the summer and the wildlife is thriving within. The species are mainly Beech with some Birch, Pine and Cypress with underplanting of Holly. This has been backed up with Oak and Field Maple at a later date. There are two naturaly seeded Ash which I am sending up and up with pruning and last but not least a single 30 meter tall Scots pine left from the turn of the century. There used to be two more Scots pine but the '89 and '90 gales took care of those and the smallest was left all on it's own. I also like the 'central tree' idea.
Consequently the alternative to buying a wood is to buy a field and do what you are suggesting.... create your own. Seriously, I have seen this done in Norfolk over the last twenty years and the results are really quite staggering. Norfolk prarie to superb mixed woodland and still creating. The wildlife is thriving and the farmland is not being blown away!
I hope I haven't bored you all with my passion Swyn.

PS. My biggest threat is squirells so watch out for those. Getting certain trees beyond 25 years old is very very hard indeed... My dad thinks impossible! S
PPS. Did you know Wayland, that Redwood(sequoia) coppices?

 

[Mad Mike]

PPS. Did you know Wayland, that Redwood(sequoia) coppices?

Wow

how long between harvests ?

 

[swyn]

Haven't really found a use for it yet apart from an idea to form a hide and watch wildlife. It is very very bushy!
Suggestions welcome?
Swyn

 

[British Red]

I give away about the same potted up. Everything .....to hornbeam.

Cheers,
Toddy

Lickle puppy eyes for the next hornbeam


Or a mulberry each for me and Wayland (except you haven't seen one ...200lb of soft yummy fruit a year )

 

[Floyd Soul]

Yeah redwood is the only conifer I believe that coppices. I'd love to experiment with it. I have a couple of seedlings I grew so maybe I'll get a chance to in the future.

For me I'd plant all native. I'm buying about 500 saplings over the winter in the hope that I'll someday have land to plant it on. Guerrila style might be something to consider tho!

I'd have the outskirt boundaries consisting of fruiting hedgerow plants - hawthorn, elder, cherry, damson and apple. They get the most light here and are most accessible. Then many stands of coppice stools - hazel, and sweet chestnut I reckon. Then in the centre, loads of oak, ash, scots pine, and birch I reckon. That can all grow nice and high and be selectively harvested at a sustainable pace.

Oh and a nice understory of holly and yew I reckon.

One can wish eh!

Edit: I do say reckon alot!

 

[demographic]

I wouldn’t plant anything! Assuming my land wasn’t miles from the nearest trees I think I’d just fence it off and wait…..
Natural selection is what should dictate what grows and where. For the long term health of woodland I believe the nursery rearing and transplanting of trees should end. Trees that have fought from seed for a place in the ecosystem will more often than not be healthy and strong. Trees that have been grown in a plastic tube in an artificial environment must be second best. Indeed many is the tube tree I’ve seen bent double and broken within a very short space of time due to its bolting in the tube and reliance on artificial support!
Let nature get on with it and then manage what springs up, if you must, that way you’ll have a better chance at rearing a fuller ecosystem including fungi, insects, birds,…..

You must really like alder and birch then

 

[pierre girard]

Red pine. I like red pine, and you have some chance of seeing the growth in your life time. In the early 1960s we planted 75,000 on our land. About 25,000 made it to maturity and are of a beautiful size now, 8 to 12 inch through the butt, and from 50 to 75 feet high. Loggers keep approaching us about cutting them, but they are there to stay. They are now reseeding naturally. As they were planted in mature forest, they are very tall and straight. They like a sandy soil.

A few years ago I planted siberian spruce on the land where I live. Beautiful tree, quick growing, and very hardy. My uncle, who owned a greenhouse, keeps telling me I planted them too close together. I want woods, not a tree here and there.

I also like planting apple trees, but the deer like them so much, their survival is always problematic. They need a lot of sun.

PG

 

[Montivagus]

You must really like alder and birch then

I’m not quite sure where all this primary succession worry comes from? We’re not immediately post glacial or anything near it in most of the UK. I’ve already done this on some land in Wales; simply fenced it off to prevent the sheep etc. eating all that grows and hey-presto nothing but oak, ash, beech, sycamore etc.etc. from local trees.
The greatest problem actually came from brambles – I’ve had to spend many an hour with the scythe cutting them back..but hey, I did say you could manage your wood.