We had been looking for a wood preferably with a open area for sometime.   We had a look at a few that were not right for us, thinking it was never going to happen.   One day I opened an email and there it was - in September 2022.  Golden Hill Wood, I immediately called Stuart, the area manager, and we arranged to view it.   Well,  it was just perfect and literally five minutes away from our home, so the ball started to roll. It was time for some research on equipment, we got some good advice locally, so a chainsaw, brushcutter, and other equipment was purchased.  Having a walk around with Stuart, taking on some good advice, we then started to work on our new heaven. Golden Hill Wood has some old broadleaf trees but mainly spruce, fur and a few Douglas Firs amongst others.  The wood not been cared for in many years, so I set to taking lower branches off to head height, a few had to be removed including a couple of tactical removals with trees broken half way up, removing the many brambles that had stored from the ground to the canopy in a web like manner.  I found myself pulling brambles from one tree only to see I'm pulling a tree further away as there was so much of it.   Patience is a virtue and I got there.   It is not the end, but everything is now manageable so I have a few hours work and then a chill out. I have a couple of tarpaulin areas which the granddaughters just love and embrace and lend their little hands.   When Roe or Red Deer are about, we have two sets of Buzzards along with Red Kite and. of course, Bunnies.  We spent New Years Eve 2022-23 there and I've made a wild camp under a basher. I'd recommend anyone taking a wood on.  It is so peaceful and calming.

A recent article in the New Scientist suggests that staking newly planted trees may be pointless for trees that are planted in gardens and parks.  James Wong argues that stakes are often not needed because trees have a natural tendency to grow straight and vertical. Indeed, staking may cause damage because the tie that connects the post and the tree can cut into the tree.  Also the tie-up to the stake creates a weak point where a sapling can snap in high winds. Even if it doesn’t snap, it develops an unnaturally thick trunk at that point to stop it from breaking. Despite this, you might still want to use a stake in a garden or park for reasons unrelated to the growth of the tree - to avoid it being run over by a lawn mower or accidentally walked into. For forestry planting, using stakes is a very different matter. Stakes are easy to spot and help forestry contractors to find their new trees for weeding and for “beating up” - the odd phrase used by foresters to refer to replanting where trees have died. Using stakes can also help make the trees grow straight which is important for producing top-quality timber. However, the most important function of tree stakes in most new woodland planting is to keep tree guards vertical and securely in position. Most stakes for tree planting use treated softwood and are sawn, but there is a case for using longer-lasting sweet chestnut pales made by splitting. Such stakes are readily and cheaply available from suppliers in East Sussex and Kent. These stakes are strong and easier to bang into hard, stony ground. As well as being long-lasting, sweet chestnut does not need treating so for those using biodegradable tree guards and wanting to “leave no trace”, these may be the best stakes for new planting. Using untreated stakes like this avoids putting extra chemicals into the environment. Another option, often used for new planting of hedgerow trees, is using bamboo canes to hold the saplings and their guards, usually very light spiral guards. Canes as stakes have the added advantage that they are light and easy to transport: when you are planting any new trees there is lots of material to move around the site - guards, young trees, stakes and spades. getting ready for some serious planting  

Plastic is a problem, plastic is universal.  A class from Ramsbury Primary School went on a walk round their village, looking for signs of plastic pollution. When they looked in the hedgerows (lining the paths and fields), they found old plastic tree guards (and hedge guards).  Some were breaking up into pieces, some growing growing into the bark of the trees.  In addition, there were plastic bottles, face masks, dog poo bags, sweet wrappers, plastic ropes, plastic bags, and plastic wrappers from hay bales. Plastic  litters our world.  Each year, hundreds of million tonnes are produced. It is used but often it is not recycled - it is discarded.  It litters the land, rivers and oceans.  It is now almost impossible to walk in the countryside or on a beach without encountering plastic in one form or another.  Discarded plastic can kill or injure.  Mammals, reptiles, birds can be harmed through eating plastic or becoming entangled in it. Plastics are made up of repeating units (monomers) that join together to form long chains (polymers). There are six major polymer types, PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP and PS. Many are derived from petrochemicals.  Additives are incorporated into plastics and these can gradually leach back out either during normal use, or when in landfills, or following improper disposal in the environment.  Whilst plastics serve many different functions, their makeup means that they do not easily break down, they persist.  Consequently, a lot of plastic goes to landfill or it may be burnt (to generate energy) - which in turn can release greenhouse gases and pollutants.  Ideally plastics would be reused, like glass bottles were recycled in the dairy industry for over a century. Polyethylene is used widely for plastic bottles and food packaging, PVC is used to make pipes (for water / sewage), coating for electrical cables, uPVC windows and fascia boards. Recycled PVC can be used to make certain types of tree guards, for example :Spiral guards.  Such guards offer protection to young trees and hedgerow so that they can establish themselves, avoiding being chomped by rabbits, deer or sheep.  The guards also offer a micro-climate that helps growth. UV stabilised polyethylene is used to make netting / mesh to protect young trees. [caption id="attachment_34477" align="alignright" width="300"] Tree guards, to protect young trees on moorland[/caption] Tree failure can be an expensive process, so it is important to give young trees a ‘good start in life. A ‘weed’ free area around the planted tree reduces competition for water, light etc. In theory, it should be possible to reuse plastic guards, but they are often damaged, degraded or have to be cut to remove them from the young tree.  As they are not biodegradable, it is important that they are collected and removed. Ideally this material should be recycled.  If many trees are being planted, it may be simpler / more cost effective to fence off the planted area to protect young trees from browsing activity. Because of the problems associated with plastic tree guards, there are now a number of alternatives available.  For example, wool-based tree guards / shelters (eg. Next Gen) are fully biodegradable being made from wool A biodegradable polyol made from ethically sourced cashew nutshell liquid and castor oil A polymer that breaks down over time Other biodegradable forms of tree protection make use of a polymer made from sugar cane (eg. HyTex products).  Such guards decompose slowly through the action of microbes (bacteria and fungi), temperature and humidity, gradually forming a  compost - so their removal is not needed.  

In 2022,  we made a decision to buy Coed Bwlch Coch from woodlands.co.uk,  just over four beautiful acres of woodland near our home in mid Wales. Although we knew nothing about woodland management or forestry my partner and I love the outdoors. Just how important this is became apparent when I had breast cancer some years ago - I even camped out near the hospital during my treatment regime. It took less than six weeks to gain ownership. Woodlands.co.uk had two superb representatives on the ground, Ash and Helen. They opened our eyes to the possibilities this gorgeous strip of woods held. They answered all of our novice questions and guided us with ease through the buying process. We have been so impressed with the sensitivity and care taken by woodlands.co.uk to prepare the whole forest for sale. We’ve only owned the woods for a few months but we have already enjoyed dozens of visits. Our first task to cut back loads of brambles in one area where a bit of old stonework was peeking out has revealed a treasure: the ruin of a stone longhouse that pre exists the 1840 Welsh Tithe Maps on land once owned by the Earl of Powis. We are taking baby steps to learn- we’ve invested in some training courses, some decent outdoor clothing, some second-hand tents and handbooks. This year we’ll do some coppicing, harvest firewood for home, build a store, make some charcoal, camp, bring all our friends and family ... but mostly we will feed our souls.  

We, like many woodland owners, have stand alone battery powered trail cameras that record photos and videos onto a SD card.  They work well but obviously need regular monitoring to check battery state, and if the SD card is full.  Some time ago, I found a Reolink Go which is battery powered with the option of a Solar panel.  This camera records photos and videos onto a SD card, but differs from a Trail camera in that it has a SIM card. This allows remote access with live and remote viewing of photos and videos 24 hours a day. The daytime viewing is full colour, and black and white at night. There is sound, two way speech and an alarm all controlled from your mobile handset.  There is an option of "Push" notifications when the camera is triggered.  We live almost 50 miles from our woods and find it works well.  When I was researching the camera there was a review saying it worked well from 3000 kilometres but I cannot imagine many UK woodland owners would require it to work over such long distances. My original camera came with a V Sim which is a Vodafone data-only card, costing £4 per month with a monthly rolling contract.  These Sims are only  available via third parties now and are very expensive to buy but the subscription remains the same.  The cameras work on mobile Sims obviously using only the data aspect. The full technical data is available via the Reolink website and cameras are often discounted via the Amazon website..  There are other similar cameras, some more expensive but I do not have experience of these. We have seen deer, hares, squirrels, rabbits, mice, pheasants, extremes of weather and the occasional trespasser!  We enjoy the ability to see part of the wood from home when we are unable to visit. (The above post received from one of our 'woodlanders').  

It may be that a dead hedge is just that, your once carefully manicured box hedge which has now been ravished by the box moth.  However, in terms of managing your woodland, a dead hedge may have a different meaning. Here, a dead hedge may be a barrier to an area of new planting, it may be a way to ‘persuade’ people to keep to a footpath, or keep away from a pond / stream.   The dead hedge will be made from the bits and pieces that have be culled in clearing and thinning operations within the wood, material that foresters sometimes refer to as ‘lop and top’ and tree surgeons call ‘arisings. It can also include material cut from brambles and climbers such as ivy, honeysuckle and Old Man’s Beard (Clematis). Using natural materials to create barriers (and indeed) a habitat in a woodland is a way of using ‘waste’ in an ecologically sound way.  It saves having to remove trimmings from the site and offers opportunities to ‘top up’ the hedge if desired.  Obviously diseased materials should not be used.   Creating a dead hedge from clippings and trimmings is a way of using natural materials, rather than plastic & other materials that do not readily decompose.  A dead hedge will be an effective barrier for a period of time but it will break down sooner or later as bacteria and fungi break down the woody remains (lignin and cellulose).  The disappearance of the hedge will take time as the branches twigs etc are largely off the ground, so relatively dry and decomposition is facilitated by warmth and wetness. After its initial ‘construction’, the hedge will become part of the woodland, it will be colonised by some plants and it will offer shelter, nesting sites for birds and small mammals, and a ‘home’ to many different invertebrates, such as woodlice, beetles, even certain species of bumblebees.  As the hedge deteriorates, that is, decomposes, so the soil will gain in humus and fertility as the nutrients from the decaying wood etc are released through the detrital food chains.   Another way of using / recycling bits from pruning, clearing etc is by Hugelkultur.   Hugel beds are basically raised beds with a difference - they are filled with rotting wood and other biomass.  They are packed with organic material, nutrients and air pockets. Such beds can be an effective way of creating a productive area for growing fruits and vegetables in your woodland.  There is a woodlands blog about hugelkultur here. Large chunks of wood e.g. sawn up tree trunks can be stacked up in small piles and will over time make an excellent home for many invertebrates but especially xylophagous (wood eating) insects, for example,  saproxylic beetles.  These are beetles that live / eat in dead wood.  In the UK, some 600+ beetle species (from 53 different) families are associated with deadwood. Some feed on the deadwood itself (often with the aid of symbiotic bacteria in their gut), others feed on the fungi that are gradually ‘dissolving’ the wood.  Ants and wasps sometimes make their nests in dead wood.   Using wood to increase the organic content of the soil is good in terms of  carbon sequestration,  improving soil fertility,  water conservation and  productivity.  

Even if a tree looks healthy the trunk may be rotten to the core.  One day it will be vertical the next day suddenly horizontal and in falling it can kill people, crush cars and damage buildings.  So, knowing what's under the bark is really important.  Suspicion of rot might have been raised from a fungus, or a die-back of branches, or a hollow sound when the trunk is trapped.  In any event, it's one thing to suspect rot and another to know the exact extent of it and where it is, which is the problem that can be solved by a Sonic Tomograph, which is an ultrasound scan. The tree surveyor puts a series of nails into the tree in a ring around the outside - often about 40-90 cm above the ground - and he/she wires these up to the ultrasound.  The kit illustrated here is a PiCUS (named after the Latin for Woodpecker) made in Germany which can be carried in a small bag the size of a briefcase. For a horse-chestnut tree like this one with a diameter of about 2.5 metres the arboricultural surveyor needed ten nails.  Once these have been banged in through the bark, and the PiCUS wires attached to each one the surveyor then taps each one lightly with a special hammer and this sends sound waves through the trunk to each of the sensors attached to the other nails.  The PiCUS device will measure whether these sound waves are going through good timber, rotten timber or voids.  This then allows the computer to create a detailed and colourful picture of the trunk showing how much rot there is and where it's located in the cross-section. In our case the horse-chestnut tree, which looks fairly healthy, turns out to have rot covering 41% of the cross section.  Anything above 30% suggests the tree is unsafe and in this particular case the tree is overhanging a busy road and pavement so the whole tree will almost certainly need to be dismantled and replaced. Many of the sonic Tomograph surveys are done for local authorities and institutions to protect the public by reducing the risk of falling trees. A single tree only takes about 20 minutes to survey so there is good economy in doing several on each visit.  One official I spoke to said, "one reason we do these PiCUS surveys is so that neighbours and local people can see why we are cutting down trees that they love." The contractor here is Kim Gifford who is based in South East England and is on 07831 488456.  He's a very experienced surveyor and also spotted another rotten tree on his visit - a Tulip tree - which he surveyed and showed that it too needs to be cut down, sadly.  An alternative, in some circumstances is to take off the whole branch structure and turn the tree into a monolith, though in most circumstances it's better to eliminate the tree and start again with planting a new tree.

So, you’ve decided to plant trees, or maybe you want to buy land for tree planting, but you’re not entirely sure exactly how to plant trees correctly. There are several things that need to be considered when going about planting trees, including choosing the right tree, deciding where to plant it, and making sure it takes root and grows successfully. Once you’ve planted it, you need to keep an eye on how it establishes itself in its new location. When is tree planting season? It’s best to plant trees with before the spring and summer. The rainy spring and hot summer conditions can spark the tree to grow, so it’s important for you to establish the tree in its new location before this change in conditions. As a result, the best time to plant trees is from November to March, with planting in November giving the tree a bit more time to get settled (for its roots to establish) before the warmer seasons. Though you can technically plant a tree in the summer, this could increase the chance of it not establishing. It’s best to plant trees when the weather is cool.  Where is the best place to plant trees? You have several options for where to plant a tree, whether that’s in your garden, on someone else’s land or on tree planting land that you have recently bought. When deciding to plant you must consider what the space has to offer; for example, if you have less space, like a small garden, it might be best to choose a smaller tree that’s easy to prune and that won’t interfere with the infrastructure of your house or its surrounding area. If you have a larger garden or a plot of land you’ll have more options, and could consider things including the topography, soil type and aspect, when selecting species. Though many trees can survive in any conditions, some prefer specific conditions. If you don’t own the land you’re planning to plant on, you will need to get permission from the landowner before doing so. If you do own the land, you won’t need planning permissions unless your project is over 2 hectares in size, at which point some environmental assessments may be necessary.  There are also some places where you can’t plant trees, such as on archaeological sites, or sites with rare or protected species. Grasslands that have never been ploughed, wetlands and heathlands are not suitable for planting trees. Planting next to some rivers could also be regulated, but you’ll need to talk to the Environment Agency to make sure. If you’re unsure about whether you can plant on your land, you can check with the Forestry Commission.  What species to plant? When it comes to selecting species, there is no right or wrong answer, and different species can flourish equally in the same location.  People often prioritise planting native broadleaved species, which is widely encouraged, but not essential.  Planting a range of species can improve resilience and resistance to disease, while also having excellent carbon storing capabilities! A diverse mix of deciduous trees will also be beneficial to wildlife.  In the UK there are lots of options for native trees. Examining what’s already growing in the surrounding areas will give you an idea of what will grow successfully. You might have a specific goal in mind when planting trees, such as attracting more wildlife to an area - a tree with nuts and berries (such as rowan, elder, blackthorn, or hawthorn) will be best for this - or maybe you’re looking to reduce flooding, in which case alders and willows are good options; particularly next to watercourses. The size of the space you have available is important to consider, as larger trees may eventually  encroach upon your home once they reach maturity, so may not be suitable in a back garden. For smaller gardens, consider trees such as crab apple, alder, bird cherry, dogwood, elder, or goat willows, which are naturally small, or trees that can easily be pruned back to the desired size like holly or hazel.  What do I need to plant a tree? Not a lot of equipment it required to plant a tree: you’ll need a spade, a tree (which could be bare root, cell grown on root ball), a tree guard for protection and a cane/stake for support.  If there are browsers or grazers in the local area (such as deer) then stock proof fencing around the perimeter of the young woodland could be useful to keep them out.  A mulch (or equivalent material) is also important, to keep down the grasses and weeds which can provide unwanted competition for young trees.  Mother nature will almost always take care of the watering required, but some irrigation (from a spring, river or mains connection) can be handy in particularly dry spells. Rain water collection systems could also be utilised.   Steps to plant a tree Preparing the land & choosing a spot Before you dig a hole to plant your tree in, prepare the soil for planting. This involves cutting any grass short and weeding the area, which prevents the tree from competing with other plants for water and gives it the best chances possible! After working out the density at which you would like to plant, it’s sensible to mark where each tree will go with a stake.  This should be a safe distance away from any buildings, other trees or infrastructure (don’t forget about power lines and pipes!). Planting density can vary on species, as well as desired outcomes, but it’s worth bearing in mind that the denser you plant, the sooner you will get a closed canopy, which is a nice milestone in the development of a woodland.  Either 2m or 3m gaps are fairly standard.  For hedge planting smaller gaps are advised, with 30cm or so between each tree; for thicker hedges make a double row of trees in a zig zag pattern with 50cm between the rows. Digging a hole Once you’ve done your preparation, it’s time to dig the hole! There are several tree planting methods, including pit planting, spiral planting, and t-notch planting. Pit planting works on all soil types; spiral planting works on bare soil and grass and is good for stony soil; and t-notch planting is a quick method for grass-covered ground.  Pit Planting Dig a hole deep enough to take the length of the roots of the tree. Pick up the tree by the roots and place it in the hole, pushing it to one side to see how deep it is in the hole and to ensure all the roots are covered. Using the heel of your boot or your hands, firm the soil around the roots, making sure there are no air gaps.  (Another way to prevent air gaps is to spray water on the soil after backfilling halfway, and again once you have completed filling the hole.) Place the tree guard around the tree and hook it around the stake, and push it around 1cm into the ground. Spiral Planting Press the depth of your spade into the ground, pushing forward to create a slit that’s deep enough for the roots of your tree. Using the spade to keep the slit open, place the tree inside the hole with the top of the roots 2cm below the ground. Remove your spade and push the soil back around the roots of the tree, again checking that there are no air gaps. T-Notch Planting Create the first ‘notch’ by pushing the depth of your spade into the ground. Then, to create the second ‘notch’ do the same thing at a right angle to the first notch, creating a ‘T’ shape. Return the spade to the first notch and lever it upwards, parting the section of soil. Hold your spade there, placing your tree in the space created before removing the spade to allow the soil to fall into place. Ensure that all roots are in the hole and adjust the tree so that it’s at ground level, before firming the soil around it. How To Plant A Root Ball Tree If you’re planting a ball root tree, or a tree from a pot, dig a hole 2-3 times the width of the roots, but no deeper than the length of the roots. Break up the clumps of the roots so that the roots don’t grow circularly. You might choose to leave 25% of the root ball higher than the surrounding soil level, and taper the soil so that it covers the roots before adding a layer of mulch. After Planting Mulch Mulch is a good way to retain the moisture of the soil surrounding your tree.  It can keep the roots cool, and protect the roots of your tree from extreme weather conditions. Mulch will also keep competitive weeds and grasses at bay, which can be problematic for a young tree.  Alternative options to mulch include bits of old carpet, sheep’s wool or anything that will keep the light off the soil and prevent growth around the base of the tree.  If you choose to use mulch, leave around 1-2 inches of space around the base of the tree, and place mulch about 1 sq/m around the tree. Watering Watering your tree correctly is extremely important for it to grow successfully. You will need to ensure that you water your tree correctly until its roots are properly established in its new location. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, up to a year. Here in the UK, in autumn and winter, our rainy climate is usually sufficient to enable the trees to establish and flourish on their own.  Some additional irrigation from a stream or water run off can be helpful if it is particularly dry. Pruning Before you plant your tree, you might choose to prune branches, but you shouldn’t do so immediately after planting. Wait until after a full season of growth to do ‘corrective’ pruning. Plant Around Your Tree The area surrounding your tree provides the perfect environment to plant other shrubs and plants. Planting wildflowers can help attract diverse wildlife and creates a variety of food and shelter for different species. If you’re planting several trees, the space between your trees will encourage different habitats to form and improve the biodiversity of the area. It could be nice to form a footpath between your trees so that you can easily access them and enjoy the advantages that come with being surrounded by nature. Go, go, go! Now that you know how to properly plant trees, get planting! Don’t be discouraged if the tree you’ve planted doesn’t grow successfully- there are endless variables that can affect why this might happen, but if you follow the above tree planting tips you should be on the right track. There will always be a certain percentage of trees which fail to establish.  There are so many benefits to tree planting on your physical and mental health, and is one way to do our bit to help the protect the environment from the effects of climate change, so there are plenty of reasons to keep trying!