Planting woodland - heavy going!
- Thread starter spandit
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They've been in the UK for hundreds of years and with the way the climate is changing, not all of our native trees are going to thrive. It isn't soil fussy and produces pretty & fragrant blossoms, great firewood & rot resistant timber. Grows quick & coppices well. They're mostly planted on the boundaries where the thorns will help deter intruders.
So are alder and gorse. I've cut some of the gorse down to make space for the robinia - should give it good shelter whilst it grows. Planted some more willow yesterday and I've been told a friend has some bamboo for me, which will be perfect screening for where I need it
Wonderful to see and what a magnificent effort you've made! Oh how I long for the chance to do something similar.....
Kind words, thank you! We couldn't find a place with woodland & knew that buying a separate patch wouldn't be the same so this was the only option, really. We have bluebells which I hope will spread (although I might dig some up and move them) and in due course we'd like to offer wild camping there, but obviously it will take a few years! I'm hoping this time next year most of the trees will have outgrown their tubes & will start looking a bit less like a modern art installation!
Just reading back over this thread, some really wonderful things have been said. A barn owl has moved into the neighbourhood (perches in our neighbour's barn) and we see it most afternoons about 3:15 onwards. Wonderful sight, silent & ghostly. One of the dogs has caught a few voles but I'm sure there are plenty left for Barney!
Helped plant a few fruit trees today that were on offer from Tesco. Cherries and apple so hoping for even more blossom.
Excellent stuff, sounds like you are reaping the rewards of your hard work. I wish we had more land, I love researching and planting trees...but we are running out of space!
You seem to make more use of your land than anyone I know. How much do you have, out of interest?
With all the nut trees I've planted (hazel and sweet chestnut) I'm expecting the local squirrels to take notice. That's why I have a brace of .410's arriving this week
With all the nut trees I've planted (hazel and sweet chestnut) I'm expecting the local squirrels to take notice. That's why I have a brace of .410's arriving this week
Any room for growing things espaliered along walls at all? Apples plums and pears all tolerate this moderately well.
You seem to make more use of your land than anyone I know. How much do you have, out of interest?
With all the nut trees I've planted (hazel and sweet chestnut) I'm expecting the local squirrels to take notice. That's why I have a brace of .410's arriving this week
Squirrel pie!
May I recommend some Rowan and a few Guelder Rose? I had two mature Rowan's in my old garden and they are stunning, especially the one in the front. It seems to have a naturally symmetrical shape despite getting the brunt of the wind. Absolutely chock full of blossom in the spring and laden with berries come Autumn - the year before last, I saw waxwings gorging themselves on the berries. Quite a rare sight for me. Guelder Rose being more of a shrub than tree and related to the Service tree, it also has berries except that they are fat, translucent red and the foliage turns the most dazzling, iridescent red come the autumn. Again, lots of white blossom in the spring too so good for the pollinators. Rowan is also great wood to carve.
We have some rowan in the hedgrows already but I agree, it's pretty (as is guelder rose). I shall see what doesn't make it next year and put some more in. There are gaps in the hedgerows that could do with filling - nothing seems to be growing well there at the moment, probably because the mature oak is dominant
Rowan berries make a great jelly too, as an alternative to redcurrant jelly, and apparently are also useful in deterring witches, if such a thing is a problem in your area
Guelder rose berries taste vile and where I am the birds don't seem to eat them either, so they make a show of colour through the winter. They can be added to jams in small quantities as a really good vitamin C source.
One to think of if you haven't got any is sea buckthorn. Brilliant orange-yellow berries (edible, and flavoursome, if highly astringent) and would be great in a hedge as it is densely spiky. It can be invasive sometimes though.
Guelder rose berries taste vile and where I am the birds don't seem to eat them either, so they make a show of colour through the winter. They can be added to jams in small quantities as a really good vitamin C source.
One to think of if you haven't got any is sea buckthorn. Brilliant orange-yellow berries (edible, and flavoursome, if highly astringent) and would be great in a hedge as it is densely spiky. It can be invasive sometimes though.
Sea Buckthorn won't like the wet though I do agree its a stunning plant in full berry - bright orange!
Spandit, if you're having one or two problem areas such as around your mature Oaks then why not try some Rootgrow? I know it's not practical or likely affordable for planting on your scale but you can buy it in a form that makes a gel for dipping the roots in and this makes it go much further. Might be worth it for those troublesome areas? Also perhaps try some species that are more shade tolerant? Hornbeam I know is good in the wet, you have some already and in my limited experience, it's good with shade. Some native Barberry might do the trick as well but I forget which one is actually native to Englandshire.
Don't mean to teach my Grandma to suck eggs as it were, I'm just quite excited (and rather envious) about your whole project!
Spandit, if you're having one or two problem areas such as around your mature Oaks then why not try some Rootgrow? I know it's not practical or likely affordable for planting on your scale but you can buy it in a form that makes a gel for dipping the roots in and this makes it go much further. Might be worth it for those troublesome areas? Also perhaps try some species that are more shade tolerant? Hornbeam I know is good in the wet, you have some already and in my limited experience, it's good with shade. Some native Barberry might do the trick as well but I forget which one is actually native to Englandshire.
Don't mean to teach my Grandma to suck eggs as it were, I'm just quite excited (and rather envious) about your whole project!
You seem to make more use of your land than anyone I know. How much do you have, out of interest?
With all the nut trees I've planted (hazel and sweet chestnut) I'm expecting the local squirrels to take notice. That's why I have a brace of .410's arriving this week
Only an acre so we have to compromise a lot
410s are, as I often say, highly under rated. I love them, and they have done for more rabbits than my 12 bores
I had written down sea buckthorn as something I wanted before, I forgot to order any. There is some surprisingly dry soil in places so shouldn't be a problem if it doesn't like the wet. I'd also like Chinese dogwood for the fruits and some larger bamboos for eating and structural uses. There is a long (50m) section of metal palisade fencing between us and the industrial estate next door that I need to screen - the larch lap fence panels the previous owner put up have mostly blown down. I've planted some willow but I think bamboo would be best there
Only an acre so we have to compromise a lot
410s are, as I often say, highly under rated. I love them, and they have done for more rabbits than my 12 bores
Wow, from the amount of stuff you produce I thought you had a vast estate! When is the book coming out?
I'm hoping my daughter will learn to shoot the .410 in due course
The site local to me with sea buckthorn is often inaccessible in places due to flooding, so I reckon it will cope with a bit of water so long as it dries out some of the time.
