Preparing to Plant

Delaying the planting from January to November 2023 has allowed more time to prepare the land. The priority is completing two bracken bashes this summer with the aim of reducing the strength of the bracken so that the saplings can thrive. I have also been able to do some gorse clearance from a few areas missed by the contractors to create more space for planting. Some trees have come down and have blocked some of the ground needed for planting and I am slowly clearing this.

To confirm that the space required for the planting will be fully available, and spot whether any further work is needed this summer, I have once again asked Andy from Shepherd Aerial https://www.shepherdaerial.com/?lightbox=dataItem-kn0qc5ia1to take aerial photographs of Bel's Wood. These images will also act as a valuable record of progress over time. From November the land will look like a sea of plastic guards for the next couple of years so it is great to have this 'before' record. The photographs were taken before the bracken returned in late April then Andy came back over one weekend in late May and took some wonderful videos and stills when the hawthorn was in full bloom. It has taken me a while to post these so it feels a bit out of sequence with my more recent blogs but better late than never!

This picture shows that there are some trees on the land and still quite a large amount of gorse which is in flower in this photograph. The bare areas with last year's bracken showing brown will be planted with 4,293 trees in November as soon as the trees are dormant. There will be open spaces and butterfly rids throughout the site.

The site is divided into 6 planting zones and below is a table with the numbers of trees for each zone.

April 21st 2023

PLANTING ZONE	TREE	%	DENSITY	NUMBER OF TREES SPECIES by zone	Totals no of trees by zone
1	Aspen	ASP	1,100	65
1	Black poplar	10.00	1,100	54
1	Wych Elm	17.00	1,100	92
1	Rowan	17.00	1,100	92
1	Wild Cherry	16.00	1,100	86
1	Hazel	13.00	1,100	70
1	Common Alder	15.00	1,100	81	539
2	Scots Pine	80.00	1,100	317
2	Downy Birch	20.00	1,100	79	396
3	Spindle	22.00	1,100	250
3	Crab Apple	3.00	1,100	34
3	White Beam	20.00	1,100	227
3	Dog wood	10.00	1,100	114
3	Wild Cherry	10.00	1,100	114
3	Downy Birch	12.00	1,100	136
3	Common Alder	12.00	1,100	136
3	Rowan	11.00	1,100	125	1,137
4	Scots Pine	80.00	1,100	452
4	Downy Birch	20.00	1,100	113	566
5	Hornbeam	15.00	1,100	182
5	Field Maple	15.00	1,100	182
5	Grey Willow	10.00	1,100	122
5	Sweet Chestnut	15.00	1,100	182
5	Horse Chestnut	10.00	1,100	122
5	Small Leaved Lime	10.00	1,100	122
5	Hazel	10.00	1,100	122
5	Other willows	5.00	1,100	61
5	Black poplar	5.00	1,100	61
5	Wild Cherry	5.00	1,100	61	1,216
6	Aspen	100.00	1,100	440	440
				4,293	4,293

There is a height difference of the 45m from bottom to top and I have chosen trees appropriate to the different heights. Zone 5 is along the bottom and has the largest trees. Zone 3 is in the middle with a mixture of heights and in that way I aim to maintain the views. Zones 2&4 will have Scots Pines & Downy Birch at the top of the site and these zones abut the neighbouring woodland which has conifers along the margin. 

This coloured image highlights the relative height of the site with blue showing the lowest lying areas, where the River Gilpin runs, and the red the highest just outside my land to the east. 

The bracken has returned and now had its first cut. There are areas that the mower cannot reach and so I am beginning to tackle those by hand just doing a bit at a time for now.

Before the cut

After the cut; it's lovely to have that open feel back for a few weeks at least....

Cut took place on 22nd June 

This aerial image shows the whole site and gives a good sense of the height difference. It also shows the surrounding landscapes with the green fields which are grazed by sheep to the north and south and a lovely woodland about 25 years old to the east.

I like these stills as well, taken at the same time. 

Looking north and picking up the familiar skyline of the Lake District fells

Looking south towards Morecambe Bay

Once the land prep has been completed I will mark up the planting zones for the contractors. I will do once this year's bracken has turned brown again in the Autumn.