Big difference in one year

November 22, 2024

I am coming up to the 4th anniversary of taking ownership of Bel’s Wood. So much has changed in that time and yet I feel I am at the beginning of this journey of creating a wood. The saplings were delivered last December and planted by mid January.

Mulch mats were added February - May

Followed by 31/2 months of bracken bashing

Watching the saplings grow has been a joy with some anxiety thrown in. I took stock of their growth a couple of months ago https://belswood20.blogspot.com/2024/09/celebrating-new-trees.html

Since the bracken died back I have enjoyed spending time at the wood removing grass from spirals, pushing back the remnants of bracken and clearing some brambles where a sapling is being overwhelmed.

I have also ‘captured’ quite a few naturally regenerating oaks and hazels.

Oaks

I am leaving the birch without spirals or stakes as they are thriving more than those that I planted. I may move some which are straddling paths or risk choking other types of trees in the area.

It is tempting to remove the spirals when I see this but as we go into winter the small mammals will get hungry so reducing the likelihood of them being nibbled makes sense. Some have got a taste for the spirals but so far the those trees have not been harmed

The spirals are biodegradable and made from plant material designed to start degenerating after 4 years, triggered by UV light and then to shatter so they break into small pieces which will break down to their constituent components in leaf litter and grass. They have stood up to a soggy summer and apart from the nibble marks in some they are doing their protecting job well.

Many trees have made it beyond the height of the spirals in height and I have started upgrading bamboo canes to stakes for some tall trees in exposed places. These aspen looked at risk. I know the allowing trees to waft in the wind can be beneficial as they grow stronger so I am not doing them all and will keep an eye on them. Aspen are pretty resilient. There are a few Cherries and Rowan that I may also stake over winter.

The good news is that many will go into next summer taller than the bracken and so won’t need to fight for light as they did this year. That means bracken control should be easier from now onwards. There are two reasons for bashing the bracken. The first is that the saplings get shaded out so do not thrive with the lack of sunlight hitting their leaves. The second is the competition for nutrients and water below the ground. By repeatedly bashing the bracken is has become less strong, growing less tall, but I suspect the competition below ground is no different as the rhizome works harder to put more fronds up. That would suggest I only need to manage the bracken around the trees that are not getting sufficient light.

This the definitely the case for Scots Pines. They are doing well and also will be completely shaded out next year unless I clear the space around them again. Having spent a great deal of time hunting for them this year to add mulch mats and then bash the bracken around them, I have decided to mark them with bamboo stakes so that the job will be easier next year. I think I have got them all (with the help from friends again) and maybe need to buy a clicker to count them to see how close I have got to 775. I have marked those that look dead (some I didn’t get to in time and look blanched from the lack of sunlight penetrating the bracken) as it is easier to predict where to look for the next tree when they are all staked. It is like playing a giant game of ‘Battle Ships’ where gaps give you a target area to explore.

The work is done for the year. I am propagating some seeds at home again.

Whitebeam on the left and Rowan on the right

(sorrell behind which I collected for smoothies)

I keep saying this but I do think I can step back from the wood being a project now and return it to what it was 4 years ago which was a tranquil place to enjoy, a place to share with friends and a place to learn about the natural world in more detail. The people who have helped me along the way fill my mind as I walk around - the working parties, the cook outs, the visits from experts, the contractors who have worked so diligently. I really didn’t know what I was taking on when I bought the land and I have not had a single moment where I have regretted the decision.