Following on from the success of our volunteering session with Living Woods North East back in March 2022 at the 15 acre Whitehills site local to our offices in Gateshead, Southern Green were thrilled to be invited back this month to “fill in the gaps”, and replace saplings that sadly did not survive the first round of planting.
The second stage of planting was called “beatup”. A beatup survey conducted by Living Woods North East in August 2022 identified that 62% of the saplings planted at stage one had survived. This sadly did mean that 38% of the saplings planted at Whitehills were lost. It is generally estimated that around 30% of saplings planted may not survive, and in addition to those expected numbers in this case, severe drought during our very hot and dry summer months last year, and sadly vandalism also had a part to play in those that were lost.
In response to this, Gateshead Council ordered another 11,000 saplings for planting – to ensure there was a robust woodland at Whitehills for the community to enjoy for decades to come.
Growing future forests from seed | Forestry England provide some useful information on what they are doing to combat the number of saplings that do not survive: -
It starts with a seed - Seeds can be sown indoors and grown in a glasshouse. Others can be sown directly into seedbeds in the nursery field, or started indoors then transplanted to the field to continue growing.
At the tree nursery - Glasshouses help to grow a diverse range of trees. The germination and growth of the seeds can then be carefully nurtured using an irrigation system. Glasshouse environments can be controlled using a combination of fans, shade screens and roof ventilation to regulate the temperature, humidity and light levels, to provide perfect conditions.
From sapling to forest – Planting by Forestry England is usually done entirely by hand and during the winter, when the weather is colder and the trees enter a dormant stage. Planting during this time means they experience less stress from being moved and planted, and have lots of time to adjust to their new home before they start to grow in the spring.
Right trees in the right place - Different trees are better suited to different aims – and Forestry England take their purpose and environment into account in our planning and planting to make sure the right tree is in the right place.
Click the link to find out more about the Living Woods North East Project.
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