(First post) Planting a native woodland, East Sussex

[wrsni]

The worst to plant were the oaks because there roots were so deep- ended up digging 1foot pits for the oaks

 

I had to dig holes for everything so came up with this system of making a slit with a disc cutter off the plough, then two deep cuts at right angles to it with the spade and turn over a sod. Then when planting, put the roots in the hole and tumble the sod back in on top of the roots.

 

Second pic shows how I spaced the rows at two meters by using a chain marker off the front of the tractor, this also meant that the rows didn't have to be straight but kept the right spacing.

 

 

Edited February 25, 2014 by wrsni

[fagus]

I like that idea.

[spandit]

Well, with 22 stakes and 18 tubes left over, plus about 4 shrubs (which I'll shove in the hedgerow tomorrow), it's done! May not be the biggest forest, or the best planted, but it's mine and now I can just watch it grow...*

 

Last one:

 

 

 

 

* once we've gone round and tucked all the weed membrane in... Shouldn't take long

[woodyguy]

Excellent and well done! Don't forget a picture in June when the leaves are all out. Your back should have recovered enough by then to lift a camera.

[Matthew Storrs]

I had to dig holes for everything so came up with this system of making a slit with a disc cutter off the plough, then two deep cuts at right angles to it with the spade and turn over a sod. Then when planting, put the roots in the hole and tumble the sod back in on top of the roots.

 

Second pic shows how I spaced the rows at two meters by using a chain marker off the front of the tractor, this also meant that the rows didn't have to be straight but kept the right spacing.

 

 

 

Clever idea:thumbup1: I use a similar idea when I'm fencing- drag a chain behind the trator and post driver to get the same distance between posts.

[Matthew Storrs]

Well, with 22 stakes and 18 tubes left over, plus about 4 shrubs (which I'll shove in the hedgerow tomorrow), it's done! May not be the biggest forest, or the best planted, but it's mine and now I can just watch it grow...*

 

Last one:

 

 

 

 

* once we've gone round and tucked all the weed membrane in... Shouldn't take long

 

Well done, its rewarding seeing it all done- even though it might seem a bit of a drag half way through planting!

I do like the weed proof membrane you've used- I'm sure that will save a lot of maintenance in the next few years and really give the trees a good start.

 

Going back to the woodland i've just finished planting tomorrow to put a stock fence around it!

[codlasher]

Looks good!

Like the disk on the International tractor too. We had a single ripper on the back of an elderly Ferrari and ran on the last set of wheel marks.

When I was a nipper in the 1970's we had a machine fitted to a County that firstly removed the top soil 18" wide by 4" deep using a PTO driven thing that looked like a giant toothed cotton reel, the 'screefer' as it was known. The second part was mounted behind on a flexible coupling. This looked like four splitting wedges X shaped which could rotate, it was heavily weighted and dug into the ground as the machine worked its way along. Each hole was 7" deep x 4" wide and 18" apart in good conditions and perfectly shaped for little treelets roots. We planted trees in every other hole. Thousands of them.......:big grin:

The trees are still going strong but the men and machines are mostly no more.

codlasher

[wrsni]

Clever idea:thumbup1:

 

An idea born out of being seriously up against it, nothing like a bit of despair to get the old brain active!

 

The trees are still going strong but the men and machines are mostly no more.

 

That's a very deep and insightful quip there mate, with a bit of help it could go viral.

 

I like it very much.

[peatff]

Keep an eye on the Sycamore, there's a small plantation near us that was varied wood about twenty years ago. It was neglected for a few years and now it's all Sycamore, all the other trees have died off in their shade.

[spandit]

No sycamore in my plantings, only field maple