January – tree planting time! We are in our second year planting and restoring hedgerows at a 200-year-old farm in Ceredigion. We use bare-root trees a for large-scale planting jobs, as they are lightweight and economical.
We are planting a native mix including hawthorn, guelder rose, field maple, rowan, oak, spindle, hazel and hornbeam. These will provide food and shelter for birds, small mammals and insects.
Bareroot trees are often planted through plastic to keep weeds down and allow the trees to establish. We have come up with a natural and biodegradable alternative – each tree is protected with a handful of sheep wool covered with woodshavings.
We planted over one thousand trees last winter, and hope to do more this year. On a dry, clear day it’s a wonderful job, but winter in Wales is often very wet indeed….
