STAGES IN PLANTING. 1 Ground Preparation. 3 Plant handling and storage. 2 Stock Assessment. pre-planting

Transcription

1 STAGES IN PLANTING 1 Ground Preparation Suppress any existing vegetation to reduce competition with the panting stock. If using herbicides, appy in ate summer prior to panting. Cutivation both suppresses weeds and makes panting quicker and cheaper. Screefing, the process of shaving off the ground vegetation with a spade, may be more appropriate for short Ius 1. sections or interpanting between coppice stoos. (ius 1) 2 Stock Assessment Ensure panting stock is of the appropriate species, provenance and size. Bare root stock shoud have a compact fibrous root system with a good Ius 2. root to shoot ratio (ius 2) with the baance being in favour of the roots. Avoid pants with ong singe roots root coar with itte fibrous materia. For a types of panting stock incuding ce grown, (ius 3) the root coar diameter can be a usefu indicator of heath. Pants 30-45cm (12-18") shoud have a minimum root coar diameter of 5mm ( 1 /5"). The position of the root coar can be determined on most species by a change in stem coour. Reject spindy pants and those showing evidence of physica damage, dessication or disease. Ius 3. 3 Pant handing and storage pre-panting Bare root pants shoud be suppied in poythene bagg, usuay in bundes of 25 or 50. Hande with care! -Keep pants in bags during transport. -Avoid overheating stock e.g. ensure adequate ventiation when transporting in vehices. -Avoid stacking bags - the pants at the bottom of the pie wi be damaged. -Pants that are to be used within 7-10 days may be kept bagged up but wi require storage in a coo frost free shed or simiar. -Stored pants shoud be watered reguary to ensure the roots are kept damp.

2 If bare root pants are to be stored for onger periods they shoud be 'heeed in' (ius 4). Dig a trench cutting one side at a 50 o ange casting the spoi onto the opposite side. Space the pants tighty aong the Ius 4. dry out. If panting in sunny conditions keep bagged pants in the shade. 6 Panting specifications If receiving grant aid panting spacings shoud be as specified. For new hedges the Durham Hedgerow Project recommends panting 6 pants per metre (ius 5). trench against the anged side. The spoi is then cast back over the pant roots and ighty firmed in. Pants can be stored for severa months by this method. Ce grown stock can be stored for severa months, provided that the root ces are kept damp and protected from frost. As with a panting stock, hande and transport in a way which avoids physica damage. 4 When to pant Pant bare root stock between November and the end of March. Ce grown stock may be panted from September to May. Eary season panting is preferabe. Avoid panting on sunny, windy days. Damp overcast weather is idea. Never pant when snow is on the ground or during periods of hard frost. 5 Pant handing during panting Keep pants in the bag unti they are to be panted. Do not eave pants ying around outside of the bags as the vunerabe root systems can rapidy For doube row panting pants shoud be spaced at 40cm (16") with 15cm (6") between rows. For singe row panting space pants 20cm (8" approx.) apart. For interpanting between coppiced sections 4 pants per metre (on average) is usuay sufficient, spacing being dependent upon the density of coppice stoos. 15cm 40cm 1m Ius 5. 7 Panting methods Pit panting Suitabe for a stock types, required for container grown and pants over 90cm. Excavate a pit sufficienty arge to accommodate the roots without constraint. Remove the pant from the bag and hod it in the centre of the pit with the root coar just beow ground eve. Scoop the earth back into the pit crumbing any arge cods and removing any arge stones. Genty pu the pant

3 sighty to aow earth to sette around the roots. Use the ba of the foot to firm the oose earth back into the pit. Take Ius 6. care not to scrape the bark of the pant. Ensure the root coar finishes at ground eve. (ius 6) Trench Panting When panting a singe row of hedge pants, excavate a trench to the appropriate depth and width aowing sufficient room for the roots. Pace the spoi on one side of the trench and ine the pants out on the opposite side. Repace the spoi in the trench and firm the oose soi around the pants using the ba of the foot. Take care not to damage the bark and ensure the root coar is eve with the ground. Sit or Notch panting Suitabe for sma bare root and ce grown pants. This is best undertaken where the ground has been cutivated. Do not use on heavy cay sois. Insert a spade into Ius 7. the earth to the desired depth, then move it forwards and backwards to open up the notch (ius 7). Sweep the pant into the hoe from the side ensuring the roots are not constrained. Using the ba of the foot, press the edges of the notch together taking care not to scrape the bark (ius 8). Ensure the root coar finishes eve Ius 8. with the ground and that the pant finishes upright. Depending upon ground conditions and the extent of the root system, it may be necessary to create a arger Ius 9. notch by cutting at right anges to the first sit to open up a T or L shaped notch. (ius 9) Ius 10. When panting ce grown stock, the root pug shoud be covered by at east 25mm (1") of soi to prevent it drying out and becoming oose in the panting hoe. (ius 10) 8 Appication of muches Hedgerow muching shoud ideay be at east 1m (3') wide, much mats 1m (3') square. Muches shoud be appied immediatey after panting, oose organic muches wi be most effective if existing vegetation has been sprayed off prior to appication. They shoud be appied to a minimum depth of 100mm (4"). There are two options for appying sheet muches. Both benefit from the prior suppression of existing vegetation. Cutivation is the best option. 1. Laying the sheet much after panting. Pant in the required pattern e.g. doube row hedge, prune back to a height of mm (4-5"). (ius 11) Ius 11.

4 Pruning cuts are made at an ange of 45 o, where possibe just above a budding point (ius 12). Do not prune hoy or hedgerow trees. These shoud be panted through Ius 12. the much. Secure the end of the much, unro 3-4m (9-13') whist hoding the ro above the stumps. Pu the much down over the pants, secure the windward side of the much in the ground either by cutting a notch and foding the materia down into it or by pacing the spade 75mm (3") in from the edge of the ro and pressing down with the spade to force the materia into the ground (ius 13). Ius Laying the sheet much prior to panting Secure the end of the ro and unro the much in manageabe sections, Secure the windward side by foding 50-75mm (2-3") of the edge over into a sit as described above. Repeat the exercise for the eeward side. Notch pant the trees through sits cut as appropriate into the much (ius 15). Ius 13. Ius 15. The approach used depends upon the strength of the materia. This process is repeated on the eeward side. Depending upon the much materia used, the stumps may now be protruding through, where this is not the case a sma incision shoud be made in the much to aow the stump to poke through. Pace stones or cods of earth or other debris on the sheet to prevent it ifting up over the stumps. (ius14) 9 Pacement of tree sheters and guards Rabbits pose a major threat to young trees. Where they are a potentia probem pants must be protected by guards or rabbit fencing. Four types of guard commony used in hedge panting projects are shown (Ius 16).

5 Ius 16. Poypropyene Wrap Spira Net Guard Mesh Wrap They can a be used with sheet muches. An incision wi need to be made into the materia for a the guards excep the sheters. With the exception of meshwraps, pace the guards after panting. Spiras and sheters wi require support in the form of one or more canes depending upon the ikey degree of exposure to the wind. Some forms of guard may require attaching to the cane. The base of a guard shoud be in contact with the surface. Spira guards needs to be pushed up to 50mm into the ground; Poypropyene wraps up to 75mm into the ground. Mesh wraps are paced on the pant prior to panting and then the shrub and guard are panted together so that 100mm of the guard is in the ground. Larger sheters for hedgerow trees require the support of stakes. These shoud be positioned prior to panting to avoid damaging the roots. Some designs have a futed end at the top of the sheter to reduce friction damage. Ensure the base of the sheter is in contact with the soi then attach to the stake. 10 Hedgerow trees Hedgerow trees can be panted as per other hedge pants. To estabish hedgerow trees in existing hedges, the Forestry Commission recommend cutting a notch into the hedge to accommodate the new tree. Using a tree sheter in conjunction with a much mat or section of sheet much wi hep to estabish the new tree. (ius. 17) Ius Aftercare is the most negected aspect of hedgerow estabishment and the most common cause of pant faiure. Weed contro (particuary grass) must be undertaken for at east 3 years after panting. Strimmers shoud not be used. Cutting stimuates a greater uptake of nutrients and water by the weeds. If using organic muches renew them as required. Inspect and maintain sheet muches. If using chemicas in preference to muches appy residua herbicides after panting foow up as required with additiona treatments, contact herbicides can most safey be appied using a form of weedwiper to avoid drift. Aways foow the product instructions. Panting schemes shoud be reguary inspected and any dead pants shoud be repaced. Reguations have been brought in concerning the use and storage of pesticides. Certificates of competence are required by any contractor who uses pesticides. Vounteer groups are cassed as contractors and need to meet these requirements.

6 Key Points ist Order panting stock of the correct size, species and provenance. Inspect the condition of stock upon receipt. Reject damaged and unheathy pants. Ensure stock is handed and stored correcty. Suppress existing ground vegetation. Cutivation offers many advantages but may ead to weed probems, it is best used in conjunction with sheet muches. The panting season runs from Oct to the end of March. Eary winter pantings are the most successfu. Avoid periods of hard frost, snow and windy sunny weather. Pit panting is preferabe in heavy cay sois as ground frost can cause notches to open up. The importance of aftercare cannot be over emphasised. Effective weed contro is essentia if a scheme is to be successfu. Ensure new pants are protected from anima damage. Usefu References 1. Fied Boundaries Technica Advice Sheet 2: Hedge Panting and Restoration. Durham County Counci Te: Tree Panting and Aftercare. BTCV New Hedges for the Countryside. Murray Macean. Farming Press Usefu contacts 1. Durham County Counci, Hedgerow Project Officer for advice on grants, good practice and training Te: Farming and Widife Advisory Group for advice on good practice and grants, Te: Rura Deveopment Service, NE Region, DEFRA for advice on grants. Te: LANTRA (ex- Agricutura Training Board) for advice on training. Te: BTCV Enterprises can suppy toos and handbooks. Te: Supported by