Tree Babies

Given the continued curb on our movements due to the C-word (the virus) I have been unable to take a trip up to plant the trees I grew from seed that are now in their second year. As they are going to be getting rather pot bound if left, I spent some time re-potting them as best that I could in the hope that they will be ok being moved later in the year - or even in the winter. I am not sure how much they will suffer spending a second year in small(ish) pots but they at least have some fresh compost now and a little more room to spread out. I think I have potentially about 10% of the oak, beach, chestnut and mountain ash that I will need - right there in these pots. There are about 100 trees. It is weird to think they could, in theory, still be stood there as a woodland in 200 years time. In fact I would be heart broken if some are not.

I have had really good results growing from seed - I only planted 4 species and 4 species grew pretty successfully despite the planting being a little crude and unskilled. I have really enjoyed growing them and so,  a little emboldened, I am now day dreaming about whether I might be able to grow from seed, a much larger percentage of the planting than I had initially hoped. Certainly I will be heading out to gather some seeds this autumn, it would be good to add some Ash and Hawthorne, and if I can bring myself to not use all the sloes in the gin, some Blackthorn.

I am also looking to make space somewhere on my planting scheme for a small tree nursery. If only I had double the number of acres. I think that might be a recurring frustration.....

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