(First post) Planting a native woodland, East Sussex

[spandit]

I'm hoping that once they're established a bit of neglect won't matter too much - hoping to coppice a certain amount but I work full time so not expecting a bodger's paradise

[woodyguy]

Yes certainly wouldn't wish to put in the level of work I've done this winter every year. Planting must be the hardest input part. Time to break out the hammock.

[wrsni]

Just remember that the day you plant your last tree is not the end of the process, it's only the start!. That's what ultimately attracted me to the entire thing.

 

I'm in my early fifties, if I stay reasonably fit and well I can be working in it thinning, replanting, guiding it's development well in to retirement. Maybe some of my children will get involved and do the same, maybe there'll be grandchildren to do it and so on.

 

Or maybe none of the above will happen in which case nature will then take over and it'll look after itself. I can't think of anything else you'll ever do whereby this is the case.

[spandit]

maybe none of the above will happen in which case nature will then take over and it'll look after itself. I can't think of anything else you'll ever do whereby this is the case.

 

That's my plan. Some of the trees I'm planting are for my grandchildren - seeing as my daughter is only 4, they should be of a good size by then!

[spandit]

Time to break out the hammock.

 

It's probably going to be a while before I have any suitable for hammocking - considering sinking some big posts in at the right spacing so I can enjoy them a bit sooner!

[wrsni]

Getting back to practicalities.

 

The debate between the two oaks seems to border on being as cut and dried as the Stihl/Husqvarna debate. I have both (and some red around the borders) but with pedunculate in the majority. I've had equal comments both that this is correct and that it should have been the other way round. Probably the most encouraging comment was that it was just nice that there was a lot of oak in it irrespective of exactly which one as it's been overlooked in more recent plantings due to speed of growth. It's said that you plant trees for your children and oaks for your grandchildren!

 

I'd tend to go with Norway Maple instead of Sycamore, to me it has all the benefits and drawbacks of the Sycamore but in a nicer tree when established. It's also strange how much more acceptable Sycamore has suddenly become since Ash dieback struck!

 

I've a few blocks of Lime as well and they've done very well in their first year, one block as near to our house as possible as it's supposed to have a lovely scent which will hopefully drift around the place in early summer in a year or two.

 

My biggest torture was getting supplied with the plants larger (60-90) so slit planting was impossible. Planting 6,000 trees is one thing, digging 6,000 holes first is something else!

[spandit]

Here's a photo of part of the site:

 

 

The mess towards the top is a pond I'm digging out as there is a spring there.

 

 

Currently puts out about 3,000 gallons a day. There's a drain at the bottom so I can just dump the lot downhill, which is very satisfying. It fills up in a few hours. Once I've finished digging it, by hand, I'll plant some willow revetments to stabilise it. The woodland will have a ride/path up to the pond and I'm planning on creating a seating area up there to enjoy the view, if we ever get a day where it isn't raining! There are plenty of willow sticks stuck into the ground, a couple of buckets full (400?) so should have a good source of withies in years to come.

 

The timber in the foreground of the second picture are a couple of barrel staves that belonged to a barrel that was placed over the spring in the 40's. I dug them up when I was excavating the pond (there's a book written about our house/land that mentioned the spring but it had been covered over some time ago and was just saturating the land and making it boggy). At time of writing, the water has nowhere to go when it over flows but the white line you can see marks out a future pipeline that will take it down to the ditch.

[spandit]

Love the foliage on those red oaks. Will add those to the list for next year...

[fagus]

Creating a woodland is not just about planting trees.Consider all that is in a mature woodland and help that aim as much as possible. I reckon you need some evergreens; Holly and Privet are often used to give bird shelter and early nesting sites.In a few years time don't forget, or be brutal enough, to thin.The smaller stuff needs to be around the edges as they will be otherwise be crowded out. In the areas put some alighting posts for birds to attract free seeds from bird droppings.I would also think about the fauna and for them include some habitat boxes, ground pipes.etc.

The sooner you get to a complete woodland habitat going the better for everything.

Wikepede on Glyphosate it is more safe than you maybe thinking re water.

Weed control is very important. Grass and the newly planted trees are competing for the first few inches of top soil nutrients, grass growth around young plants stunts growth remarkably. Root dips can be useful and the care of bare root stock is paramount to reduce planting shock,keep the roots on moist bags,barrels every step of the way.

[spandit]

Well aware of the need to plant the smaller shrubs on the outside and I take your point about evergreens. As mentioned, we have a lot of holly around the edges and there are large clumps of rushes to harbour other wildlife (woodcock, for example). I'm planning on trying to establish some heather too and hopefully my pond will attract more wildlife once I stock it with plants (already seen frogs in there!)

 

I still don't want to use glyphosate - I've read arguments both ways but it doesn't gel with my conscience. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a yurt dwelling hippy (no offence to those who are although kudos for having an Internet connection) but one wonders how any trees manage to grow without human intervention? I've got some oak seedlings well essblished in the sward (?) and my philosophy is that the trees that survive will be all the stronger for it

 

I'll be asking for thinning/coppicing advice on here before too long, don't you worry!