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The adage of ‘right tree, right place’ carries more weight than many realise in today’s minefield of land management. A bottom-up approach to woodland creation and management is key to extracting the maximum value from your woodlands.
In the first instance, woodland planting can be a relatively expensive and time-consuming exercise, therefore achieving good establishment rates is key. Appropriate soil analysis in terms of both physical and chemical composition is an absolute necessity when looking to gain an understanding of which species are most likely to flourish on any given site.
Secondly, once an understanding of which species will grow on site has been ascertained, careful consideration must be given to the woodlands intended use, which will further dictate the species to be planted. For example, a shelter belt may require fast growing, dense species such as Sitka spruce which will quickly provide shelter whilst also providing a commercial timber crop (with appropriate management) in a relatively short space of time.
Alternatively, if woodland planting is intended to provide cover for game birds, then a more diverse species mix should be chosen which provides a dense understorey with varied canopy heights, as well as areas where light can penetrate the canopy to encourage the development of dense understorey scrub.
From the outset it is also advisable that those looking to plant woodland consider the various funding routes available, both for woodland creation and for the maintenance and management of the wood once established.
With the publicly funded agricultural support schemes waning, woodland funding through the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier Scheme (predominantly) represents a refreshing alternative to the current negative outlook in government support for responsible land management. With proper planning and foresight, newly planted woodland can also generate revenue through carbon offsetting.
To summarise, it is imperative that when woodland planting is first considered, full consideration must be given to all aspects of planting, management and maintenance with a view to extracting the maximum value from this crucial on farm asset.
Talk to our Farm Consultancy team today to discuss how we can enhance your woodland assets.
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