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You are here: Home / Archives for Woodlands

Woodlands

Wild garlic flowers

Native spring-flowering bulbs

Spring is a very important season for wildlife gardening. Early spring flowers are vital for early insects and the birds that feed on them. Native wildflower bulbs tend to flower in the spring and there is a wide range of wonderful native spring-flowering bulbs that you can use in your garden and beyond. These include […]

Filed Under: Gardening, Woodlands

Native trees in your garden

Longing for a break from bustling city life? Want to relax in the shade and take a deep breath of clean air while listening to lovely birdsong, but don’t have enough time for a trip to a woodland? Why not escape to a breathing space in your own garden? An essential part of creating any […]

Filed Under: How To, Tree planting & Aftercare, Woodlands

A felled tree with a chainsaw sitting on the stump

Why fell trees?

Tree felling is a positive management technique which increases the health and diversity of trees and their associated wildlife within woods. It should be carried out as part of a management plan based on scientific research of the effects caused, and should be appropriate to the species concerned. Felling trees in the name of conservation […]

Filed Under: Tree planting & Aftercare, Why, Woodlands

Wood anemone and bluebell in hazel woodland

Coppicing – why cut down trees for conservation?

Coppicing is a traditional form of woodland management that has shaped many of the remaining semi-natural woodlands in the UK. Periodic cutting actually prolongs the life of the tree as well as creating a rich mosaic of habitats, attracting a wide range of flora and fauna. Woods that have not been coppiced tend to be […]

Filed Under: Why, Woodlands

A grandparent helping his grandchild plant a tree

Why plant trees?

In recent decades there have been a number of important stimuli for tree planting, including the loss of hedgerow elms to disease, the millennium and, perhaps most dramatically, the estimated 15 million trees uprooted during the storm of 16 October 1987. Native tree species blend in most effectively into the rural landscape. However, the most […]

Filed Under: Tree planting & Aftercare, Why, Woodlands

A newly planted woodland after about one year

How to select trees for new native woodland

If you’re planting a new native woodland, you’ll need to decide what species to plant. With native trees, some may be readily available from a local nursery, while others may not – but you could always choose to grow native tree species from seed. The species chosen should be native to the local area. You […]

Filed Under: How To, Tree planting & Aftercare, Woodlands

Large old oak tree

Why plant native trees of local provenance?

Ancient woodlands represent our closest link with the ‘wildwood’ of prehistory. The small fragments of ancient semi-natural woodland that still exist in Northern Ireland provide a home for our natural flora and fauna; the birds, mammals, invertebrates, mosses and lichens, fungi, and plants that are associated with them. The ice age ends and climate warms […]

Filed Under: Why, Woodlands

A stack of cut wood

How to fell trees

Felling non-native species to retain the character of a woodland can involve anything from pruning and removing saplings to full-scale felling of a mature tree. The trunks are snedded before being logged up to provide usable timber. Hands-on techniques for felling trees Basic Felling Techniques Note: on this page, ‘front’ and ‘back’ are arbitrary terms, […]

Filed Under: How To, Woodlands

An oak leaf against a blue sky

How to plant trees

The process of planting a young tree is not difficult or time-consuming. But it must be done properly and with care. The success of planting will depend on choosing the right species for the site and on providing an environment in which the young trees will thrive. Hands-on techniques for planting a tree Choose the […]

Filed Under: How To, Tree planting & Aftercare, Woodlands

A freshly coppiced hazel stool

How to coppice trees

Coppicing, either for conservation or to produce timber involves periodic cutting of trees using traditional felling techniques, stacking the timber afterwards and leaving some brushwood to rot down. Tree identification Correct tree identification is important. Point out any obvious areas of confusion, eg hornbeam and beech in winter. Make certain that everyone knows the species […]

Filed Under: How To, Woodlands

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