Life

The Casual Gardener: Time for trees

The full benefits of tree planting may not be realised for decades but that's half the appeal

The right kind of trees invigorate a landscape
The right kind of trees invigorate a landscape The right kind of trees invigorate a landscape

“THERE is something about planting trees that feels good. If you have done it well, it will outlast you and leave the world a little richer and more beautiful because of your efforts. Planting a tree means you believe in, and care about, a world that will be there after you are gone. It means you have thought more about yourself and that you can imagine a future beyond your own lifespan, and you care about that future. ”

This extract from Cumbrian farmer James Rebanks’s acclaimed and inspirational book English Pastoral – An Inheritance, captures beautifully the philosophy behind tree planting. It conveys how it is a long-term, strategic choice, the full benefits of which may not be realised for decades.

Tree planting is very different undertaking than buying a plant from the garden centre in anticipation of a burst of flowers over the coming months, or sowing lettuce seeds in spring in preparation for salads over summer.

The right kind of trees invigorate a landscape, enlivening it with wildlife and flora that together make a habitat.

The value of trees to our environment is finally being recognised. Before Christmas, Environment Minister Edwin Poots announced the latest stage of the ‘Forests for Our Future’ programme, which will see a total of £4 million granted to landowners to help them plant native woodlands.

“Our woodlands are a hugely valuable natural resource and will benefit individuals, community and society by contributing to a healthy, quality environment, helping to capture carbon from the atmosphere as they grow and improve our landscape and biodiversity,” the minister said.

The Small Woodland Grant Scheme is unlikely to suit most gardeners, as the smallest eligible area is 0.2 of a hectare, roughly the size of an 18-yard box on a football pitch. However, there’s no shortage expansive, sterile green swathes surrounding bungalows in the countryside that may qualify and would undoubtedly benefit from being transformed into a woodland.

Even if your tree planting isn’t subsidised and you haven’t got much space, it’s still worth persevering for the environmental reasons outlined above by the minster and for your own self-satisfaction.

If you're planning to plant several trees or a small woodland, then the coming weeks are the time for action, as it’s now that young saplings are available bare root – that is, with out a pot. This year the situation is no doubt complicated by Covid-related restrictions but it’s still worth getting in touch with a nursery that may be able to deliver or put some aside for collection. The cut-off point for planting is when the growing season begins, roughly around mid-March.

Ideally opt for natives such as alder, spindle, blackthorn, guelder rose, hawthorn and silver birch.

When you collect your young whips, get them home quickly to avoid the roots drying out. It's even a good idea to have trench dug so the saplings can be "heeled in" until they are ready for planting. Soak the roots of the tree in a bucket of water before planting and locate them on cleared ground where there's a lack competition from weeds.

Plant the tree so it sits atop a small hill of soil with the point where the roots join the trunk even with the surface. Firm it in well and if it stands more than three feet high, attach a stake to prevent damage from wind rock. Keep the sapling well watered for the first few months and until it gets established add some mulch to fertilise and help suppress weeds.