Oly1

Yep Hylomar blue is what I used

It'd be too tight for tractors so it'd still be cut with my mower, scythe or strimmer

We're now thinking more along the lines of agro-forestry, making the most of the wildflower hay meadow we already have, so wider parkland/orchard style spaced trees. Plenty of logpiles etc too

Any glaring issues with the below? Total ~120 trees set at 4m spacing Species Number Beech 2 Aspen (Poplar) 3 SweetChestnut 2 Hazel 10 Birch Downy 15 Rowan 20 Field Maple 25 Apple 3 Plum 3 Lime (small leaf) 5 Cherry (Bird) 15 Hornbeam 5 Oak 10

I've never had a problem with the rollers wearing down yet I must admit. Just annoying that it can't be used on a stihl chain! That said, looking at it more closely, it's for a H30 chain - which I think was the 1.3mm pixel chain, rather than the larger H25 1.5mm chain 🙄

What do you use?

I seem to be able to use my husqvarna roller file guide on Husqvarna chains, but not Stihl (it doesn't slip over the links), is this normal? Can I just widen the gaps to accommodate the wider links or will this change the file angle?

I've found the below from the web. Can anyone tell me average growth rates of each species please? Ultimate height and spread Beech 40m x 20 m Oak 10m x 20m Field Maple 12m x 8m Alder 17m x 6m Small Leaved Lime 9m x 6m Hornbeam 9m x 6m Rowan 10m x 3m Hazel 4m x 3m

To be honest, in the last 24hrs I'm starting to think the same way! I am aware that the wildflower meadow is really valuable, BUT in the next 5 to 10 years I may struggle to find anyone to cut and take the hay. It's simply too small for most contractors. So, I'm thinking now about planting a few big specimen trees that won't interfere with the hay cutting too much, but will over time grow and start suppressing the grass (we get 120 small bales from 1.5 acres that has had zero input and grazing for nearly a decade!). That way when the hobbyist hay guys do give up its not too hard for me to manage and/or increase the tree planting/regen at that point. Hopefully a few, well spaced, big trees, with raised canopies will not worry the owls too much too.

Excuse the ignorance, but why does it have to be well rotted woodchip? I can get fresh relatively easily.

I really like this adaptive approach...something to start adding to the plan. What would you recommend in terms of prep and initial care in particular? Mulch (type?), spraying off, mow/strimming etc? We try not to spray if it can be avoided at all Again, what would you recommend for the grass suppression? Mulch (type?), spraying off, mow/strimming etc? We try not to spray if it can be avoided at all

Great info & advice thanks. We've already run half as a CL, good, but a tie. This'll just be for us. Definately not a Xmas tree farm! 😄

Has anyone got a tree size diagram for the native trees I am looking at to give me an idea of sizes, root depths and widths? I am sure I have seen one on Twitter but can't find it now. It looks a like this, but for native trees

Just down the road too!

Yes, we're not going anywhere. Is Aspen native to the UK? And would it suit our soils?