Our humble hedgerows are often overlooked but they are immensely important for biodiversity, connecting habitats, protecting against pollution and fighting climate change. In fact, they are so efficient at guzzling carbon that the independent Climate Change Committee recommends we plant 40% more hedgerows, i.e. 200,000km, by 2050. That’s why we were so overjoyed to be joined at Naturetrek in Hampshire by 31 hardworking volunteers from Network Rail – who funded the planting through their Community Planting Fund – and eight of our incredible Corporate Partners (Acorn Recruitment, Animal Friends, hgh Consulting, Kite Clothing, Macfarlanes LLP, Savills, Spar UK and Stuart Turner). Together, we planted just shy of 1,000 hedgerow and scrub whips and around seven trees.
The day got off to a rather cold start but we were warmed up by more tea, coffee, pastries and cakes than we could possibly manage courtesy of Smoke’n Greek BBQ, and it wasn’t long before the sun came out. Activities began with a very warm welcome from The Tree Council CEO Sara Lom and Andy Tucker from Naturetrek who thanked everyone for their tree-mendous support.
Then it was off for a quick walk around the stunning Naturetrek site as a magnificent red kite circled overhead. Naturetrek have been operating expert-led wildlife holidays and tours around the world for 35 years. Their offices sit on 12-acres of idyllic grassland in Hampshire which they are working to re-wild to connect up areas of ancient woodland and hedgerows through scrub and hedge planting.
The group were then trained on how to plant a tree properly and safely with a demonstration from our expert Tree Council team.
How to plant a tree
Step 1:
Dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball of your whip (a young tree seeding) and the same depth.
Step 2:
Place the root ball of the whip into the hole so that the point where the roots meet the trunk is level with the surface of the soil surface.
Step 3:
Sprinkle some mycorrhizal fungi onto the roots and then refill the hole with earth, jiggling the whip slightly as you fill to ensure that there are no air pockets left around the roots. Firm the soil around the tree by pressing down with your foot.
Step 4:
Secure the whip to a stake to support it, adding a cardboard tree guard or other biodegradable spiral to protect from grazing wildlife.
Step 5:
Water well and add a layer of mulch around your young tree to retain moisture and suppress competing grass growth.
The team were then divided into two groups and headed off to begin planting rows of mixed native tree species including hawthorn, alder, blackthorn, hazel, field maple, elder, spindle and oak, interspersed with holly shrubs. These new hedgerow and scrub areas will emulate the natural succession of plant communities from open grassland to woodland, providing shelter and forage for many vulnerable species including the hazel dormouse. After a hearty lunch of delicious Greek wraps, planting continued and several trees – three small leaf limes, two beeches and one rowan – were also put into the ground as special dedications.
Finally, it was time for mulching, mulching and more mulching. Mulch holds back weeds, helps young trees retain water and keeps the soil at an optimal temperature for the roots. It was an absolutely tremendous effort by all involved, with several of our dedicated corporate volunteers going above and beyond to make sure every single young tree was well tucked in.
Tree-minology
Hedge
A boundary feature formed of closely growing trees and shrubs. Hedges usually consist of more than one species. It’s not unusual for some trees in a hedge to grow very tall if allowed to do so.
Whip
A whip is a young tree up to three years old with a slender single stem.
Standard
A standard is a tree has a clear stem and a head of branches and is usually over five years old.
We are so grateful for the outstanding support that our Corporate Partners provide for us, and it was wonderful for The Tree Council Team to get to meet so many in person. Here’s to many more planting days out when the season returns!
For details of the incredible organisations supporting our work, please click here.
If you would like to join Team Tree Council and find out more about how your organisation could support our work, please contact our Development Manager Cat Gransden at cat.gransden@treecouncil.org.uk.