Tall Trees for Tall Undergrowth

Sizing up the Trees

I am currently in the process of planting up a site, which is largely covered by a huge patch of Rose-Bay-Willow-herb, which grows thickly, to a height of about six foot/ 2.8 metres each Summer.  Trees planted in here need to be at least the same height, otherwise when the Willow Herb grows; the young trees would become smothered and starved of sunlight, which would almost certainly result in their demise.

I have decided to turn all of the bit, which is covered with the Willow Herb into a thicket of Birch and Willow.  The site is quite damp and both Willow and Birch are often quite tall and skinny trees, so I can still collect a reasonably high quantity of trees of that height, with out taking up too much space on the back of my bike, when compared to other tree species of that same height.

It is important to note that saplings, which are smothered by other trees and which have become leggy and unhealthy looking, are not worth collecting, as if they survive, they may take years to recover.  Tangled clumps of skinny trees, which have their tops in the light are fine, but they will probably grow better if their tops are trimmed down a bit, to some healthy buds.

 

On the above picture; I am measuring the saplings to six feet and after digging them up I cut them all to this height.  This way, they won't stick out of the Willow Herb and blow over in strong winds, but they won't be smothered either and they won't really be noticed by walkers, etc; until they have grown a bit and look both established and naturalised into their new environment.

Collecting taller trees is less efficient as less can be collected and planted and allot more work results in less land being planted, but the trees are bigger and will be woodland in less time and of course trees have to at least equal the height of the undergrowth they are planted in, if they are to survive.

Broke my  Spade

It is very annoying, when something like this happens.  The crack in the handle of my spade has been widening, for quite some time now, but I had anticipated it lasting for a little while longer.

This inconvenience did not bring a close to tree collecting, but did make it more arduous and hard work. 

Thankfully though most of the big trees had already been dug up, by the time this happened, so it wasn't too bad and later on that day I mentioned what had happened to one of my neighbours and he has lent me his, until I can get mine fixed.

Small Trees for Short Grass

Other sites which I am planting have short grass, which is mossy and never gets very tall.  On these sites small foot-high (30cm) trees can be used and much larger areas can be planted far more quickly.  So I pulled up a whole load of smaller Willows and Birch trees and put them in the bags, with the larger ones.

I am limited by how many bigger trees I can logistically fit on the back of my bike, but there is usually still room for a few bundles of smaller ones, which don't really take up very much space at all.  Doing this makes the whole mission greatly more efficient and means allot more land gets planted.

Not Enough trees to Complete the Site

Even with the motorbike fully loaded with two big bags of tall trees; there were not enough to complete the site.  I did however get a big swathe of it done, but I will probably need me to put some more in here before I move.  Although I could always leave a patch in the middle as a Willow herb reserve.  There are enough trees in here to colonise the remaining areas eventually and the site is by far, mostly planted.

The trees here are trimmed back six foot stocky saplings.  last year's introductions on this site have done very well.  I would be optimistic and imagine these will as well.

A decade from now, these trees will be tall fast growing young woodland and the silver trunks will look fantastic.  The Willow herb will at last be tamed.