We have now planted 100 trees and shrubs since buying the property. Actually there is more if you include the willow, but I haven't as those were not really dug in. We just used a rod thingy pushed it into the ground and put the willow stick in. Shall send photo's of those sometime. Anyway the bulk of the trees were bought in February. There were ten each of nine different types and one Moris Nigra (mulberry) tree, something I wanted since we bought the place. I am trying to learn the latin names of as many plants that we plant as possible so here goes, some of them. Dogwood- Cornus Alba- doesn't like the wind so was planted on either the inside of the main hedge or in sheltered borders to fill gaps in existing hedges. It's red flexible branches are used in basketry. They are all doing well. Field Maple- Acer Campestra, all in the hedge as there are a couple of big ones on our borders. I shall mention others as we go along so as not to bore you.
Hawthorne-Craeteagus Monogyna, they produce edible berries so two are in the 'top field'. Snowberry or Waxberry- Symphoricarpus albus- apparently the berries are edible but will give young children bad tummy ache and vomiting. It is a plant that Astrids' childminder is not allowed to plant. All of them are in the hedge and doing well. Rosa Rugosa and Rosa Canina - two types of rose bush. The Rugosa is much more prickly but has better tasting rosehips. The rugosa is doing well but the canina not so well (lets see with time it may be the soil). They are all in either the main hedge or along other borders of the property. Sambucus Nigra- elderflower, has edible flowers and can make ink out of berries. Four are out of the hedge to grow as 'large shrubs'.
Best tree planting time is between November and end of March while the tree is putting it's energy into growing it's roots rather than in Spring when they grow leaves. So I bought the trees in Feb in preparation for a 'big' tree planting day with a chap that kicke started the whole thing when he took us at our word and popped in on the off chance to see our place. We had thought of planting a hedge as a border, windbreak and 'screen' from nearby walkers on the neighbours public footpath but we didn't know that winter was the time to plant them. Anyway he works for a place that has youngsters come for all sorts of outdoor and crafty NVQ like courses. He said he could bring a couple of folk round to help plant the hedge. I wasn't going to turn down free labour so I requested my off duties to accomodate a Monday in March, he could only make a Monday. The trees had to be 'heeled' in while they waited to be planted. The chap at the nursery said as long as the roots were covered and damp they could wait a month. The above photo is all nine species 'heeled' in, but that was still a lot of digging for me then.
First tree to be planted was the mulberry. I have since read that it could take up to ten years before it fruits. New, named, cultivars can bear within three years so I will lool for those too. We put a lot of protection around it in case the deer got in as well as to protect from wind.
These are nine Mahonia Japonica shrubs. They flower late winter early spring so will be good foraging for the bees on a mild winter. They are evergreens and grow to 3 by 3 metres. Only two are in the main hedge others are nearer the bees. Most of them are doing well having grown an extra spray of branches at the top but one is getting eaten by slugs, we think.
7th March 2011 a group of four of us planted 40 trees.
Many thanks to Peter Skinner, on the left for both organising it and for planting to most trees. Thanks to Leon who got some work experience mainly putting the spirals round the trees as he had used up all his energy earlier in the day diging a pond elsewhere. Thanks also to Kate who came just because she likes planting trees, I hope we meet again and I here all about the bee hive you are making and the Biodynamic farming course you are doing. The trees we planted that day may be as tall as the trees behind you in ten years time.
These two photo's above are the top part of the hedge where I finished planting the remaining 25 trees over two days. The photo below shows, to the half way mark, the hedge planted on the Monday. There are a couple of Betulla Pendula- Silver Birch planted a short distance from the rest of the hedge. They grow tall and slim but I wanted them to be near the other trees, some are in the hedge too, as they are manure trees. They, I think, fix nitrogen. Their bark can also be used in basketry.
Unfortunately when we came to dig up the trees in preparation for planting we found that 7 of the 10 Malus Sylvestra- Crab apple had had their roots eaten. We reckon it was a rat. I took then home, stuck them in hormone rooting powder and tried to nurse them a bit. They are now all planted out, mainly in the hedge and seem to be doing okay. Two have been planted in other places as they are good pollinators for other trees, we have some other apple trees already.
Rich and I were going to plant out just one cherry tree I couldn't resist buying from a nearby nursery. We went to the nursery on the way to the farm to return a Eucalyptus tree which had died on us. While we were there we bought two peach trees- Prunus something and found two healthy Eucalyptus trees. This took some arranging in the back of the Berlingo but we got them in and were away.
Here is Rich hammering in the obligatory posts for the peach trees. They have to be strong posts because of the wind. Below I am carrying the Eucalyptus to the bottom of the property where they were planted. In front are the two Peach trees in place with their posts.
Here is the little cherry tree protected from rabbits buy something left on the farm by previous owners. That day I realised we had planted 100 trees/ shrubs since we bought the property. I think it was the 9th of April. Below is the first video clip taken by Astrid on my camera, while I was planting a crab apple. It's not much but it may be a bit of fun.
We have now planted 100 trees and shrubs since buying the property. Actually there is more if you include the willow, but I haven't as those were not really dug in. We just used a rod thingy pushed it into the ground and put the willow stick in. Shall send photo's of those sometime. Anyway the bulk of the trees were bought in February. There were ten each of nine different types and one Moris Nigra (mulberry) tree, something I wanted since we bought the place. I am trying to learn the latin names of as many plants that we plant as possible so here goes, some of them. Dogwood- Cornus Alba- doesn't like the wind so was planted on either the inside of the main hedge or in sheltered borders to fill gaps in existing hedges. It's red flexible branches are used in basketry. They are all doing well. Field Maple- Acer Campestra, all in the hedge as there are a couple of big ones on our borders. I shall mention others as we go along so as not to bore you.
Hawthorne-Craeteagus Monogyna, they produce edible berries so two are in the 'top field'. Snowberry or Waxberry- Symphoricarpus albus- apparently the berries are edible but will give young children bad tummy ache and vomiting. It is a plant that Astrids' childminder is not allowed to plant. All of them are in the hedge and doing well. Rosa Rugosa and Rosa Canina - two types of rose bush. The Rugosa is much more prickly but has better tasting rosehips. The rugosa is doing well but the canina not so well (lets see with time it may be the soil). They are all in either the main hedge or along other borders of the property. Sambucus Nigra- elderflower, has edible flowers and can make ink out of berries. Four are out of the hedge to grow as 'large shrubs'. 
Best tree planting time is between November and end of March while the tree is putting it's energy into growing it's roots rather than in Spring when they grow leaves. So I bought the trees in Feb in preparation for a 'big' tree planting day with a chap that kicke started the whole thing when he took us at our word and popped in on the off chance to see our place. We had thought of planting a hedge as a border, windbreak and 'screen' from nearby walkers on the neighbours public footpath but we didn't know that winter was the time to plant them. Anyway he works for a place that has youngsters come for all sorts of outdoor and crafty NVQ like courses. He said he could bring a couple of folk round to help plant the hedge. I wasn't going to turn down free labour so I requested my off duties to accomodate a Monday in March, he could only make a Monday. The trees had to be 'heeled' in while they waited to be planted. The chap at the nursery said as long as the roots were covered and damp they could wait a month. The above photo is all nine species 'heeled' in, but that was still a lot of digging for me then. 
First tree to be planted was the mulberry. I have since read that it could take up to ten years before it fruits. New, named, cultivars can bear within three years so I will lool for those too. We put a lot of protection around it in case the deer got in as well as to protect from wind.
These are nine Mahonia Japonica shrubs. They flower late winter early spring so will be good foraging for the bees on a mild winter. They are evergreens and grow to 3 by 3 metres. Only two are in the main hedge others are nearer the bees. Most of them are doing well having grown an extra spray of branches at the top but one is getting eaten by slugs, we think.
7th March 2011 a group of four of us planted 40 trees.
Many thanks to Peter Skinner, on the left for both organising it and for planting to most trees. Thanks to Leon who got some work experience mainly putting the spirals round the trees as he had used up all his energy earlier in the day diging a pond elsewhere. Thanks also to Kate who came just because she likes planting trees, I hope we meet again and I here all about the bee hive you are making and the Biodynamic farming course you are doing. The trees we planted that day may be as tall as the trees behind you in ten years time.
These two photo's above are the top part of the hedge where I finished planting the remaining 25 trees over two days. The photo below shows, to the half way mark, the hedge planted on the Monday. There are a couple of Betulla Pendula- Silver Birch planted a short distance from the rest of the hedge. They grow tall and slim but I wanted them to be near the other trees, some are in the hedge too, as they are manure trees. They, I think, fix nitrogen. Their bark can also be used in basketry. 
Unfortunately when we came to dig up the trees in preparation for planting we found that 7 of the 10 Malus Sylvestra- Crab apple had had their roots eaten. We reckon it was a rat. I took then home, stuck them in hormone rooting powder and tried to nurse them a bit. They are now all planted out, mainly in the hedge and seem to be doing okay. Two have been planted in other places as they are good pollinators for other trees, we have some other apple trees already. 
Rich and I were going to plant out just one cherry tree I couldn't resist buying from a nearby nursery. We went to the nursery on the way to the farm to return a Eucalyptus tree which had died on us. While we were there we bought two peach trees- Prunus something and found two healthy Eucalyptus trees. This took some arranging in the back of the Berlingo but we got them in and were away.
Here is Rich hammering in the obligatory posts for the peach trees. They have to be strong posts because of the wind. Below I am carrying the Eucalyptus to the bottom of the property where they were planted. In front are the two Peach trees in place with their posts.
Here is the little cherry tree protected from rabbits buy something left on the farm by previous owners. That day I realised we had planted 100 trees/ shrubs since we bought the property. I think it was the 9th of April. Below is the first video clip taken by Astrid on my camera, while I was planting a crab apple. It's not much but it may be a bit of fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment