BORDERS PLANTING GRANT BORDERS TREE PLANTING GRANT

Appropriate tree species for planting in the Borders Countryside

What are we encouraging for planting and which species are classed as natives?

We wish to promote the planting of large native trees such as Oak, or non-natives such as Beech or Sycamore. These trees are long lived and add greatly to the landscape appeal of the countryside. Oak are particularly magnificent as hedgerow trees, parkland trees or in small copses. There are however, many appropriate small and medium sized trees, if planting space is limited. Ash is a common tree of hedgerows but planting of Ash is not recommended presently, due to Ash die back disease. It is largely because we are losing so many Ash trees, that this tree planting grant has been set up.

Native species are or animals that colonise an Two of these apply in the Borders; the ‘Border Hills’ area naturally i.e. without human assistance. Because covering the upland areas in the west and south and of their longer lineage, native trees support a much ‘Eastern Lowlands,’ which covers the lower Tweed Valley greater diversity of dependant and associated species and coastal fringe to the east. The trees and and are therefore more highly favoured. Many common that are native to these two zones vary in response trees found in the Borders, such as Beech and Sycamore to the different soil and climatic conditions found in however, were actually brought here by people in Roman each. Species for planting should be suited to the site times or more recently. The Borders Tree Planting Grant conditions. The following list is a general guide to the recognises the contribution that the introduced species various species that may be suitable within the two make to the landscape but recognises also the greater zones. If you are at all unsure about what trees you contribution made by native trees. should be planting, please seek advice from project staff Scottish Natural Heritage has identified a number based at Tweed Forum and Borders Forest Trust offices. of ‘Natural Heritage Zones’ covering Scotland. GUIDANCE ON TREE SPECIES AND PLANTING

1 2 GUIDANCE ON TREE SPECIES AND PLANTING Native treeandshrubspecies BORDERS TREEPLANTINGGRANT * -denotesspeciestypicalofthezone butonlynativeinEnglandandWales A -denotesspeciessuitableforadding tohedges H -denotesspeciessuitableformaking hedges Sessile oak Downy birch Tree Species Border Hills(Uplands) Blackthorn (onbettersoils) Bay (onwetground) Eared willow(onwetground) Grey sallow Elder Juniper (inmoreopenareas) Hawthorn (onbettersoils) Hazel (onbettersoils) species Crack willow(inrivervalleys) Goat willow Bird cherry Aspen Holly Wych elm(inrivervalleys) Scots pine Pedunculate oak Silver birch Alder (inrivervalleysandwetground) Rowan Ash (Notbeingplantedduetoinfection)

Pinus sylvestris Quercus robur Betula pendula Alnus glutinosa Sorbus aucuparia Fraxinus excelsior Quercus petraea Betula pubescens Prunus spinosa Salix pentandra Salix cinerea Sambucus nigra Juniperus communis Crategus monogyna avellana Corylus Salix fragilis Prunus padus Populus tremula Ilex aquifolium Ulmus glabra H H A A 3 GUIDANCE ON TREE SPECIES AND PLANTING Native treeandshrubspecies BORDERS TREEPLANTINGGRANT * -denotesspecies typicalofthezonebutonlynative inEnglandandWales A -denotesspecies suitableforaddingtohedges H -denotesspeciessuitableformaking hedges Pedunculate oak Ash (Notbeingplantedduetoinfection) Tree Species Lowlands Eastern Purple willow(wetsitesinriver valleys) Osier willow(wetsitesinriver valleys) Goat willow Elder Blackthorn Hawthorn Hazel Shrub species Holly (understoreytree) Goat willow Crack willow(wetsitesinrivervalleys) Alder (wetsitesinrivervalleys) Hornbeam* Whitebeam* Grey sallow Gean (wildcherry) Crab apple Aspen Rowan Silver birch Downy birch Field maple* Wych elm(inrivervalleys) Sessile oak

Sorbus aucuparia Betula pendula Betula pubescens Acer campestre Ulmus glabra Quercus petraea Quercus robur Fraxinus excelsior Salix purpurea Salix viminalis Salix caprea Sambucus nigra Prunus spinosa Crategus monogyna avellana Corylus Ilex aquifolium Salix caprea Salix fragilis Alnus glutinosa Carpinus betulus Sorbus aria Salix cinerea Prunus avium Malus sylvestris Populus tremula H H A H H A 4 GUIDANCE ON TREE SPECIES AND PLANTING Non-native treeandshrubspecies BORDERS TREEPLANTINGGRANT * -denotesspeciestypicalofthezonebutonlynativeinEnglandand Wales A -denotesspeciessuitableforaddingtohedges H -denotesspeciessuitableformakinghedges Noble fir Grand fir Douglas fir Wellingtonia Small leavedlime Yew (understoreytree,poisonoustolivestock) White willow(wetsitesinrivervalleys) Pear Black poplar White poplar Beech (shadetolerant) Sweet chestnut Horse chestnut Sycamore (especiallyinexposedplaces) Norway maple(shadetolerant) Tree Species- Crab apple(smalltree) Rowan (smalltree) Field maple(mediumtree) Sycamore (largetree) Beech (largetree) Oak (largetree) Trees mostsuitableforHedgerows Scots pine mostly forlowlandsites

(depending onsite) (most suitableforparkland) Salix alba Pyrus communis Populus nigra Populus alba Fagus sylvatica Castanea sativa Aesculus hippocastanum Acer pseudoplatanus Acer platanoides Pinus sylvestris Abies nobilis Abies grandis Pseudotsuga menziesii Sequoiadendron giganteum Tilia cordata Taxus baccata H A H 5 GUIDANCE ON TREE SPECIES AND PLANTING 3 Tree speciestypeandchoice • Deepcultivationoftheplanting sitemayberequired ifthesoiliscompacted. • • large different tree specieswillbecome. Consider theproximity tobuildings, underground servicessuchasdrains,siteboundaries,overheadwires andhow Think aboutwhere toplant trees withinyoursite.Are there anyrestrictions onthesizeoftrees oncetheymature? 2 Pre-planting workand sitepreparation • • • to considerground conditionsie; It isimportanttocheckifthesitesuitableforplantingtrees onandwhattypesoftrees wouldgrow best.You need 1 Assessingthesuitabilityofsite Important stepstoconsiderforsuccessfultree establishment How toselect,plantandcarefortrees BORDERS TREEPLANTINGGRANT • • prolonged dryordroughty conditions. overcast andwindlessdays.Care mustbetakenifplantingonfrosty orwindydays.Trees shouldneverbeplantedin benefits. Whenplanting,tree roots shouldneverdryoutorbeexposedtofrost. Trees are bestplantedonmild, Trees are usuallysuppliedfrom a nurseryaseither‘bare rooted stock’or‘cellgrown stock’.Bothtypesofstock have 4 Selectingthetypeofplantingstockandwhen toplant (or awoodlandadvisor). If youare stillindoubt,youshouldseekfurtheradviceandguidancefrom Tweed ForumorBorders Forest Trust Ifthesizeofsitetobe plantedisappropriate tospeciesselection. • Ifthere isenoughsoilmoisture forthemtogrow. • Ifthetrees needtogrow quicklyorforshelter. • for autumncolourandberriestrees forlandscapeappeal.Specieschoicemaybeinfluencedbyconsidering: specific purposeinmind;ieFruittrees withinanorchard, hedgerow trees, parklandtrees, trees toattractwildlife,trees Tree choiceisoftenbestdecidedbylookingaround atwhatgrows wellinthelocality. However, youmayhavea guard. Thinkalsoaboutpotential risksfrom rabbits,hares anddeer- seesection6. weeding orbytheapplicationofapre-planting herbicide(alwaysadhere tomanufacturers guidelines). that tree plantingcouldaffect inanegativeway. Perhapsyoushouldconsideradifferent siteforplanting? needed? Isthesiteaffected bysaltspray? of goodsoiltoestablishwell. August tolate-May. container, plantingcanbeextendedbyup to8weeksatthebeginningandendofseason,ie;from early- together. Trees shouldbeplantedwhentheplantsare dormantandbefore individualleavesstarttobud. beginning orendoftheseasondependingonweatherconditions. Trees comeindividuallypackedor bundled Young trees mustbeprotected from livestock.Where necessary, erect anappropriate stockproof fenceortree Young trees mustbeprotected from competingvegetation.Thismaybeachievedbyphysicalcultivation,hand Is thesitealready importantfornature conservation (such asspeciesrichgrasslandorwetland)andsomewhere Is thesiteexcessivelyshadedorexposedtowind?Bothofthesecanrestrict tree growth. Istree protection What isundertheground surface?Rocksandshallowsoilwillrestrict tree growth. Trees needareasonable depth Cell grown stockcomeinindividualroot containersorontrays.Becausethetrees comewithintheirownpeat Bare rooted stockcanbeplantedbetweenearlyOctoberandlateMarch. Thiscanvarybyaweekortwoatthe 6 GUIDANCE ON TREE SPECIES AND PLANTING • Ensure theroots are covered byatleast3cmofsoiltoprevent theyoungtree roots from dryingout. • Keeptheplantupright. • Take stepstoprevent compactionwhen plantinginclayorwetsoils. • Prepare aholebigenoughtotakealloftheroot ball. • Neverleavetree roots exposedtoairwhenplanting,astheywilldryoutveryquickly. • described above.Itisimportanttoremember thefollowingatalltimes: air gapsremaining around theroots. Iftheroot systemistoobigtobenotchplanteditshouldpitas tree hasbeenpositionedin theslot,spadecanberemoved andthesoilfirmedgentlyaround thetree toprevent at thedepthrequired tocovertheroots. Usingaspade,openuptheslotsothat theroots canbeinserted.Oncethe more expertisetoensure theroots are properly covered. To notchplant,useaspadetocut‘T’or‘L’ shapedslot remaining around theroots. Thetree mayrequire wateringinitially. Notchplantingisanothermethodbutrequires young tree wasoriginallyplanted withsoil.Gentlyfirmintheplant(withsoleofyourboot)toprevent airgaps When plantingintoapit,digholedeepenoughforthetree tobecovered uptotheroot collarie;uptowhere the 5 Plantingyourtrees • • How toselect,plantandcarefortrees BORDERS TREEPLANTINGGRANT • • • • Deer- Fencingat1.5mor1.8mstakedtree sheltersat1.2mor1.5mhigh. • • cold anddryingwindswhichcancausesevere damage.Tree protection canbeensured inthefollowingways: On somesites,mice,volesandweevilscanalsobeaproblem. Itisalsonecessarytoprotect newlyplantedstockfrom Trees andshrubsmustbeprotected from browsing animalsincludingfarmlivestock,horses,deer, rabbitsandhares. 6 Protection ofyoungtrees likely tobelesstolerantdiseaseandsuffer higherstress levelsduetomore challenginggrowing conditions. been grown from seedcollectedmanyhundreds ofmilesaway(particularlytothesouthandeast)are muchmore where thetree seedshavecomefrom andwhethertheyare likelytogrow wellinyourlocality. Trees thathave be veryexpensivetobuy. (planted) trees intime.Thegeneralruleis;thetallertree, thesmallerchanceofsurvival.Tall trees tendto is amisconceptionthatthetallertree, thebetterchanceofsurvival,asshortertrees oftenoutgrow taller in sizecanalsobesuitable.Standard trees (upto3m inheight)candowellappropriate situations.However, it trees shelters.Thehumidatmosphere withinplasticshelterscancausemildewattacks onplants. good weedcontrol willyieldthebestresults. Beware thatsometrees suchas BeechandHollyprefer open mesh drying windskillmanyyoungtrees. deterrents available. or 0.75mhigh. hedgerow trees) to3m(ieparklandtrees). Depending onthetree being plantedandfencetype,thedistancerequired can varyfrom between1mand2m(ie Control weedsandgrassgrowth within1mofthetree. Try andpurchase stockfrom alocalnurserythatcanprovide youwithaprovenance certificate.Thiswilltellyou Trees comeinavarietyofsizes.Itisgenerallyconsidered besttoplanttrees of60cminsize. Whips upto90cm In mosttypicalBorders situations,acombinationofstockproof fencingwithtrees plantedintree shelterswith Against weather- nettingtoprotect trees Wind inextremely exposedsites.Tree sheltersare thenorm.Coldand Mice &Voles- Usevoleguards (25cm)around baseoftree orfirmlyinstalledtree shelters(toground). Chemical Rabbits &Hares- Rabbitnettingonfencing0.9mhighwith150mmdugintoground orstakedtrees shelters0.6m Against livestock-Ensure stock fencesare ofsufficientstandard andheightto prevent animalsleaningover. (cont.) 7 GUIDANCE ON TREE SPECIES AND PLANTING Removetree shelters,tiesandstakesafter5years(orearlier, ifthetree hasfilledthewidthoftube.) • • • • • successful tree establishment. planting, anywinterweedcontrol shouldbeofagranulartypeherbicide.Effective weedcontrol isessentialfor incidental herbicidedamage.Take advicefrom achemicalspecialistonproducts andmethodsofapplication.Post be takentoavoidcontactwiththetreeorshrub herbicide suchasglyphosate.Thismethodisquickandinexpensiveusuallydoneinspring. Herbicides- Inmostcircumstances, grassandotherweedscanbecontrolled byaspottreatment withatranslocated following plantingseason.Methodsofweedcontrol include: successfully. Ideallya1mradiuscircle shouldbekeptweedfree around eachtree. Ifatree dies,replace itthe that newlyplantedtrees andshrubsare keptfree from weedsandgrassesforthefirst3yearsiftheyare toestablish One ofthemaincausestree failure inthefirstyears isthrough competitionfrom weedsandgrasses.Itisessential 7 Aftercare &Maintenance(especiallyweedcontrol) How toselect,plantandcarefortrees BORDERS TREEPLANTINGGRANT three tofouryearsthetrees mayneedthinningorbranchesremoving. the roots. Tread around theloosestemstofirmtree intotheground andre-stake thetree ifrequired. After the baseoftree trunk, leavingitpoorlysupported.Frost actionormolescanalsodisturbtheground, loosening can actuallyincrease thecompetition fornutrientsandwaterascuttingstimulatesgrassgrowth. tree. Thisisusuallyonlypossible onverysmallsites. used. organic formssuchaschoppedstraworwoodchipsare alsoeffective. Squares ofhessianbackedcarpetisalso surface moist.There are anumberoftypesmulchmatorsheetingavailablefrom plastictobiodegradable.More During thefirstyear, regularly checkthatthetree cancreate isstillfirminthe ground. ahollowaround Windblow Mechanical weedcontrol: Strimming ormowingisnotrecommended, astrees canbeeasilydamaged.Mowing Hand weeding:Thisinvolvesremoval byhandofallweedsandweedroots from around thebaseofplanted Mulching: Mulchingcansuppress weedsaround trees andalsohastheadded benefit ofkeepingtheground . Onebenefitoftree sheltersisthattheyprotect trees form (cont.) Care must 8 GUIDANCE ON TREE SPECIES AND PLANTING Example Costs BORDERS TREEPLANTINGGRANT This grantispartfundedbythefollowing organisations: T 01896849723 E [email protected] Roxburghshire TD69DJ, South Court,DrygrangeSteading,Melrose Tweed Forum Contact detailsforfurtheradvice: ebcd application Herbicide 1 planting andestablishment Example costsforcapitalexpendituretree BORDERS TREEPLANTINGGRANT 9  8  7  6 5 4 3 2   planting ).Removaloftreeguards(after5years). control etc,(tobeundertakenintheyearfollowing from livestock/horses. (native/exotic tree standards) (ie 0.6mor1.2mtreeshelters) (bare rootorcellgrown) h g f e d c b a for trees Vole guards Tree guardandstake Native-species treeplanting Mulch material(iemulchmatfortrees/woodchip) Maintenance oftrees-iereplacingdead&weed Parkland treeprotection-Postandrailfencingtoprotect Parkland treeplanting-Amenitytrees Erection of

Flake gate Scare wire,temporary/electricorrabbitfence Post andrailforguardingtreesetc Deer fence Convert stockfencetodeer Single stile Wooden swinggateandposts/water Stock fence

: Pre-plantingspottreatment

T 01835830750 E [email protected] Monteviot Nurseries,Ancrum,JedburghTD86TU Borders Forest Trust £9.00/m £8.50/m (incl.labour) £2.50/m £2.50/m £25.00/ea £9.00/m £25.00/m £5.50/m (incl.labour) Up to10pperm2 Price Range Applicants expense £9.00/m (£80perbox) £10- £20.00/ea £0.20 ea £0.20 ea £1.50 -£3.00ea (standard ie 2m-3m) £10 -£20.00ea £1.50 ea(smallie60cm) 50p ea

Photographs byDerekRobeson