Nice trees to plant around the farm

[Y Fan Wen]

No they're awful, my dad would throttle me if I planted them

I know you are not going to believe me, but gorse is extremely difficult to grow.
Pity it's so difficult to eradicate.

 

[hillman]

What's native to your area ...

 

[Flat 10]

Black poplar

 

[former farmer]

At least some heat lovers - climate change will lead to significantly warmer summers & winters in 80 years time so future proof your plantings:

Turkish hazel - a great tree
Corsican pine
Holm oak
Cedar of Lebanon
Zelkova

With regards to 'future proofing' you should consider the sweet or Spanish Chestnut. Would provide excellent timber for farm use in the distant future. I remember seeing superb timber in the Vendée while on holiday, of Spanish chestnut. Their summer temperatures would be 8-10 degrees higher than the Uk.

For an individual tree why not weeping willow or weeping beech?

 

[Princess Pooper]

Not all trees like the same soil, so look at what grows well locally. Given the choice, I would plant a few walnuts for their produce, oaks for longevity and fantastic biodiversity, field maple and rowan for their beautiful autumn colour, Scots Pine for their beaut and some old fashioned top fruit trees

 

[Dry Rot]

Hybrid larch is fast growing and gives useful timber. And if it's in the wrong place, makes good fire wood.

 

[exmoor dave]

Some lovely gorse bushes

I could do you a good deal on gorse...... I'll even throw in brambles, bracken and rhododendrons

 

[exmoor dave]

I know you are not going to believe me, but gorse is extremely difficult to grow.
Pity it's so difficult to eradicate.

Western gorse or European gorse? On both?


I could well believe that, but like you say once it's established it seems to continue to regrow no matter what you throw at it!

 

[badger nadgers]

A lava tree can be very handy on times.

Not next to a footpath though, don't want them to be a public convenience.

 

[JWL]

Well just plant the gorse next to the footpath then

 

[Pond digger]

A Hawthorn can make a very nice tree.

 

[CornishTone]

I remember planting a Copper Beech with my dad when I was a kid. It's got a lovely shape and will be a cracking tree when my kids are ready to start climbing trees.

I've planted and grown Oaks from hay corns, that's a pretty slow old job mind but it'll be nice to get them in the ground.

Be nice to stick to natives, especially ones associated to your particular area.

 

[Treemover]

It depends on how much ground you have.

I would encourage everyone to plant a wide mix, from fruit producers, to exotics.

Being able to walk and talk and explain why you chose this and that tree is a marvellous thing. Gets even better if you can grab an apple or pear as you walk too.

Key is to match your soil type.

Best value for money is semi standards, ie bare rooted trees 1.5-2metres.

 

[former farmer]

There are a few elms that are restitant to Dutch Elm Disease, which are being encouraged.

Take a look at :http://www.conservationfoundation.co.uk/elm

I have planted two myself in a small arboretum on my property. They are both healthy and growing well, but I am told that until they are mature trees , it is not possible to be sure of their strength of resistance.

 

[tr250]

Oak. Dad had to wait for me by an old oak tree yesterday he obviously had time to think and was telling me how he and his father used to sit under it to eat whilst drilling combining etc 55+ years ago. Nice to have a few landmarks to remind us that our lives are relatively short but nature goes on

 

[JP1]

Small leafed lime
Red Oak (planted a couple myself, not native but so pretty in the Autumn on continental European motorways)
Hornbeam
Beech
Field Maple are very under-rated. There's a local farm drive with them and they have a wonderful array of Autumn colour
I like poplars too although I realise they are not for everyone; White Poplar are lovely shimmering in the breeze, Lombardy Poplar for a statement and I planted a rarer female Black Poplar in a wet spot near a pond. Years ago every East Anglian farmyard had a stand of them close to the yard for timber etc

 

[Y Fan Wen]

Hybrid larch is fast growing and gives useful timber. And if it's in the wrong place, makes good fire wood.

Phytophthora Ramorum means that it is unlikely you will find any larch for planting in this country.
Eucalyptus Nitens, Shining Gum, is a high speed tree here. The experiment we planted in the mid 80's are approx 90 feet and over 6 feet girth, 7 of them. I reckon you are too far away to expect the same performance tho'.

 

[Bogweevil]

With regards to 'future proofing' you should consider the sweet or Spanish Chestnut. Would provide excellent timber for farm use in the distant future. I remember seeing superb timber in the Vendée while on holiday, of Spanish chestnut. Their summer temperatures would be 8-10 degrees higher than the Uk.

For an individual tree why not weeping willow or weeping beech?

Unfortunately sweet chestnut canker has been found in Devon on such a wide scale that it is unlikely to be eradicated so the future of sweet chestnut is poor. Important to buy UK grown trees to avoid importing more diseases.

 

[Av Gorritt]

I planted a couple of lime trees quite a few years ago . When I was carrying them from the nursery , the plantsman said " I see you're planting for your grandson then ." I replied that somebody had to start sometime , and if it was for my grandson - so be it . They're big fine trees now though - OK for me ! We took the next door farm a few years back too . I planted a small patch behind the house up with all kinds of self seeded trees from around the place - rowan , oak holly,horse chestnut , silver birch , alder and edged it with wild rose slips and other bits . I then planted an absolute swathe of a couple of cwts of daff bulbs that were sweepings up from the grading tables of Parkers in Old Trafford . I counted about 40 separate varieties of daffs , singles doubles earlies , miniatures and tete a tete varieties . A whole swathe of snowdrops and wild bluebells to finish off . Gives me great pleasure now as a spring garden , well , what I laughingly call a garden . It's a well established copse now, my legacy to nature ?

 

[Penmoel]

What's native to your area ...

Then in this area it would be Beech.

We planted a small row on one side of the lane when I was 40 and the other side when Mrs P was 40, 2 years later, Copper Beech look very nice now.

Should put more down really.