Thread by @IrelandsFarmers

How to increase the number of trees on your farm?

Hopefully I made the case yesterday that there is a place for trees on every farm.

Shelter and forage✅
Income ✅
Biodiversity✅
Water quality✅
Nutrient cycling✅
Biosecurity✅
Carbon✅
Flooding✅
Woodchip or firewood✅

The first step is deciding what exactly you want to achieve.

One-off trees amongst pasture? Agroforestry? Small woodlands? Fruit or nut producing copses? A combination of all the above?

I am a fan of planting near waterways & woodland corridors through the farms.

There is always the inclination to plant the most unproductive area. However it is important not to displace already important habitats on your farm, for example a wet corner may already be rich in biodiversity and should be let alone, likewise a meadow rich in wildflowers.

A good rule of thumb is the more species you see in the sward the less suitable it is for trees.

Also, as a general rule peat soils should be avoided.

Getting the trees

There are tree nurseries throughout the country and many deliver to your door. I would go with native species and native provenance.

No need to buy big trees. Ask for "bareroots" in the 60-90cm range available each year from around October, through to March.

Free trees?

It's worth considering that trees can plant themselves, they’ve been doing so for millions of years. You can facilitate this process by fencing off an area. It can be beneficial to let some stock through to break up ground vegetation to allow for windborne or bird-

distributed tree seeds to come in contact the soil. Its important that there is a seed source nearby. You can also cut foot long rods from a willow tree and push them into the ground, they will root themselves. Excellent for stabilising riverbanks

Generally, most native trees will work well in most soils, although there are a few exceptions which require somewhat specific conditions.

Alder, willow and Guelder rose are good choices here wet ground. Sessile oak will do reasonably well on heavy soils.

Dryer alkaline/acid soils- most trees will do fine in these conditions, although the trees listed above may struggle.
For coastal/windy areas Willow, blackthorn, Whitehorn & hazel are good. Once a shelter belt has been established, most species will do fine near the sea

A few more trees to consider- wild cherry can be a fabulous tree producing excellent timber - if managed well. Scots pine are a wonderful native conifer which can grow into impressive specimens. Ash is sadly no longer available to buy as a result of ash dieback disease.

Planting trees.

In soft soil with good moisture levels, you can simply sink the spade in, prise open a slot, slide the sapling (up to the top of the roots) in and firm up around it with your boot.

Alternatively, dig a small hole.

There is no need to stake bareroot trees.

Aftercare-

Exclude stock for first few years.

Mulching with woodchip or compost is not essential but will have multiple benefits - supress competitive weed growth & supply beneficial nutrients, fungi and bacteria.

No need to water, aside from drought #stitchintime

Trees like willow & alder planted can reach ten or fifteen feet in fours years. Oak may still be waist height in the same duration. A hedge of whitethorn will become stock proof in 5 years
As the mature they can be thinned, pruned,coppiced, pollarded, grazed beneath or left alone

So that's it....get out there and be ambitious!

Trees are cheap- a bag of 100 hawthorns can be as little as forty euro, alder or oak can be fifty cents to a euro a tree.

Get the family and friends involved. You would be surprised how quick five hundred trees can be planted!