During a break in the rain we managed to plant three locally grown oak trees together with a pack of 30 smaller specimens to develop a small copse close to Fowle Brook.
The trees included Hazel, Holly, Dogwood, Hawthorne and Dog rose.Tree warden Colin Lythgoe identifies the small oak, surrounded by the tree planters. If we come back in a few dozen years it might look like the slightly larger specimen growing on Shukers farm behind the group.
The instructions from Ron required us to remove a small area of grass, two spades by two spades, dig over the ground that was uncovered. Then the tree "plug" was popped into a hole in the loosened soil, firmed in and a stake knocked in alongside - missing the roots. Apparently many bare rooted saplings are killed off by exposing the roots to icy or drying winds, so they need to be kept in the plastic bag until the moment of planting. A tree shelter made from corrugated plastic was then placed over the small tree and tied to the stake. The tree shelter stops attacks by rabbits or other small creatures, but also provides an excellent miniature greenhouse environment to encourage growth. Finally the grass that was dug out is placed face down around the tree - this provides some nutrient but also reduces competition with the tree until its roots are re-established.
Guide Leader Joy Hitchen had obtained the 30 small specimens. The tree shelters were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Haslington. Thanks also to Brian from the Cheshire East Rangers and the parents of the Guides.
