Planting options post PR.

[5thelement]

1 hour ago, peds said:

 

The fruit (an aril) are tasty, 1.5 cm (0.59 in) long, blue-purple in color, are eaten by Native American people in Chile, and a marmalade is produced with them. The tree is also occasionally grown as an ornamental tree and a hedge in oceanic climate areas in northwest Europe and the Pacific Northwest of North America. In these areas, it is also sometimes known as "plum-yew" or "plum-fruited yew", though these names are more commonly applied to plants in the genus Cephalotaxus.

 

End quote.

 

Does this mean they share very little in the way of genetics with Taxus baccata, and aren't as deadly poisonous to nibble on?

Probably for the best, I suppose, but they've suddenly lost some of their allure. 

Bluish hue or not. 

Not related to Taxus, just a similar needle.

I was never on site when the ‘plums’ ripened, this is one developing on a 50 year old tree. 

[slack ma girdle]

20 hours ago, 5thelement said:

Most species were planted at standard Forestry spec.

Species included various Eucalyptus, monkey puzzle, Chilean plum yew, Vietnamese golden cypress, celery top pine, Leylandii and Atlas Cedar to name just a few.
 

The Eucalyptus have romped off at an alarming rate, the Leylandii are doing great, there is a mature stand close by that withstood the 87’ storm, this has been high brashed and is simply stunning timber, the Atlas Cedar really is magnificent though, the seeds where collected from a stand in a deep ravine in Turkey, it will tolerate up to -20C in the UK, produces a top quality timber, a great nurse crop option if the FC can see further than their own noses, just need to fence it off from deer. 

Have you produced any viable seed?

Some of those would be suitable for a couple of my sites.

[5thelement]

40 minutes ago, slack ma girdle said:

Have you produced any viable seed?

Some of those would be suitable for a couple of my sites.

Unfortunately none of these plots are mature enough to be producing seed.

[Stere]

Where are you getting the trees from - can't be many places selling such species?

[slack ma girdle]

3 hours ago, Stere said:

Where are you getting the trees from - can't be many places selling such species?

As would I.

[5thelement]

Forestry England, as they are now called,have a team that collect seed stock from endangered species which they propagate and distribute to places like Kew, Edinburgh Royal Botanical Gardens, Millenium Seed Bank Wakehurst etc, they also trial alternative Forestry species at various locations in the UK. 
I was contracted to plant some of them out in trial plots over a ten year period. 

[Welshfred]

Theres are a list of all the likely planted tree species in the UK and their pathogen threats. Only 2 (!) have no perceived threats - Field Maple and one of the Abies sp. I've been planting Field Maple but Noble Fir is an annoying weed for me so won't be adding to that problem.

My point though is virtually nothing is a safe bet, my opinion is site appropriate complex mixtures are the way to go and something will probably do ok. 

There's some FC publications about planning planting for future resilience.

[Dk3001]

I think when selecting tree species you need to look at management objectives first and then soil and climatic conditions on the site. Especially future climatic requirements based on the impact of climate change looking at the modelled data. I would then look at likely threats and opportunities to further reduce my species selection. 

 

Id also be looking at compatibility of species as well. DF is fast growing intermediate shade but can be slow to get away if the site is exposed. Northafagus I'm not massively familiar with but I d guess at fast growing light demanding. Could probably make the mix work on the right site planted in groups but id probably stick to a mix we have more understanding of and let FE figure out the trials of the more novel species. They cantakecthe hit if they fail. Not sure if there's much of a market for northafagus timber. 

 

I think where you can plant a proportion of conifer or productive non native broadleaf (e.g. sites that aren't decedious woodland priority habitat) we should be as timber stocks in the future are going to be worrying low. Mixes have got to be the way forward in the future. 

 

Forestry ESC is a useful tool but Is only as good as the data you input as the modelled data on soils can be pretty granular so id be digging a fair few pits. I think the forest development types are also worth looking at and provide a decent basic silvicultural plan that can be adapted to the block. 

 

Bit of a non answer but that's how I'd approach a site as well as looking at whats growing well in the vicinity. Each FC area has a resilience officer who specialises in lesser known species so might be worth getting in touch if your looking at something like northafagus.