Getting ready for the change of season
After a wonderful summer with sunshine, warmth and plenty of rain the trees have become well established. As the season changes signalled by the chill in the air, the colour of the bracken and on the leaves of the trees, it is time to get the wood ready for winter.
I am working my way around all of the trees before the leaves fall. I am removing any dead ones including the guards and stakes. I have not removed dead trees before as I thought it was helpful to mark the areas where trees did not survive. The tree may have failed due to shallow or rocky soil or maybe it is too wet or windy/exposed is some areas. I have now decided to remove them and I will consider where best to add trees (self seed or purchased) in another year's time. I will let the trees around them fill in for now.
Some trees warrant closer inspection as sometimes a new shoot is coming up from the roots to where a shoot has been nibbled or broken. These are good examples below. On the left a tiny Rowan visible at the base of the stake growing where the shoot has been nibbled and on the right a Field Maple having a second attempt at establishing a shoot. These now have had new stakes and trees guards so are ready for winter. I may get a second mulch mat down for any of the trees that has not made it beyond the tree guard yet. I will aim to do that I have visited and checked all of the trees.
Some trees that are thriving and also need a bit of attention. There are signs of some of the non plastic biodegradable trees guards being nibbled by mammals close to the ground. I am replacing these with intact ones from trees that have failed or if the tree is still short just turning them over to give them protection low down. I capture quite a bit of footage of small mammals and protecting the trees, especially in winter continues to be important.
Self seeded trees now need protection for winter as well. In a two hour session checking planted trees this week I was able to capture 3 Oaks and 7 Birch. I did not order Oaks from nurseries having been advised that you cannot be sure of provenance. I understand that I have Sessile Oaks at the wood and these are native to Cumbria so I decided to nurture acorns to grow my own saplings. I planted about 10 last year and have captured another 10 this year. The Birch are doing well seeding themselves. Where they are on paths or butterfly rides I shall move these. In addition to Oak and Birch there are Rowan, Willow, Hazel and a few Cherry self seeded so I will need to either label or colour code them so I can identify them when they have gone dormant so I can keep to the planting plan. I have seen some damage of these unprotected trees.
I re-used some plastic tree guards from another woodland. These have mostly worked well and where the tree has made it out of the top of the guard they are working well. Some trees are very short still and I think the non plastic ones allow more light in. I am switching these are well.
Apsen thriving in a plastic tree guard
Some of the canes have been broken when the bracken was being cut so I have replaced these and others have capsized a bit so these have been straightened. Some trees are too heavy now for the canes to work. I have put in about 50 larger stakes and double staked some trees.
It is now past the equinox and days are getting shorter. There has been full sun this last week and some warmth still and there are signs of continued growth especially the Scots Pines but the deciduous trees are turning into their autumn colours and they will drop their leaves soon. I need to complete the final check of all of the trees before the leaves fall and they all look dead!
Once this work is complete I am hoping to count up how many trees there are from those planted and those captured to see where I am against the planting plan. I may need to buy more trees and plant them but I am hoping that the self seeded trees are making up for the losses.
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