Scottish Forestry

and fine branching; specialised grafting programmes select the very best material.

Newton also produces stock grown from seeds collected at various native pinewoods, representing some of the country’s oldest wildlands such as Scots Pine seeds, collected from Rannoch Moor.

These seeds are then grown at Newton and will become part of FLS’s reforestation and habitat preservation activities.

Aspen, one of the lesser known species in the Caledonian forest – but a tree which is ecologically very important - last enjoyed a rare, prolific flowering season in the Highlands in 2019.

Newton has propagated these Aspen seeds and will send out the young trees produced from them to customers next year.

In the case of Sitka Spruce - the species that now comprises just over half (56%) of the conifers in FLS managed forests - careful seed selection and tree breeding has shaved around 10 years off the average ‘rotation’ length.

This means the time interval between planting out a seedling and harvesting a mature tree for timber has been cut from 40 years to 25/30 years.

Through genetic improvement and tree breeding it is hoped that such success can be replicated with other tree species for example, Norway spruce.

Climate change and warmer temperatures mean that Scotland is becoming a more compatible environment for trees like Norway spruce, as well as other conifers such as Western Red Cedar and Sequoia, Coast redwood and Macedonian pine that will thrive in our changing climate while reducing exposure to pests and diseases.

Speaking about the nursery’s expansion and the anniversary, Alan Duncan, FLS’s Head of Plant & Seed Supply, who has worked at the nursery for 44 years, said: “Innovation and experimentation are part and parcel of the nursery’s planning for the forests of the future.

“Forestry is a long-term proposition: most productive forestry has a lead time of around 40 years. Scots pine can take 80 years to reach maturity, while oaks can take 80-120 years.

“We are already seeing climate change happening, so we need to grow – and plant - new forests now, to increase woodland cover and most importantly, to help mitigate global warming.”

Ash dieback – take action now

By Clari Burrell, Scottish Forestry

Whilst ash dieback is not a new disease to Scotland, its impact on ash trees across the country is now increasing.

Ash dieback disease is spread primarily by fungal spores that can be carried on the wind, thwarting previous attempts to control its spread.

Unfortunately, the disease is likely to kill at least 50% to 75% of Scotland’s approximately 11 million mature ash trees over the next two decades. This will have a significant impact on our rural and urban landscapes.

Trees affected by ash dieback can become weakened and brittle over time, and secondary pathogens such as Armillaria (honey fungus) often attack diseased trees and can weaken the roots. This means that falling branches, or in some cases tree collapse, can occur in ash trees that are severely affected by ash dieback. If trees with advanced symptoms of ash dieback are growing in higher risk locations, such as beside public roads or paths, they may need to be pruned or felled.

However, farmers should be aware that trees with slight to moderate symptoms can survive for many years and can be monitored over time. There is normally no need to fell trees growing in lower risk locations, even if they are displaying advanced ash dieback symptoms, and leaving such trees in place to decline naturally can provide benefits for wildlife. It is better to focus action on those trees showing significant health issues in higher risk locations.

The advice to farmers is clear though - ash dieback should not be treated as “business as usual” and action needs to be taken now.

All land owners and managers, including farmers, should prepare their own action plan for monitoring and managing any ash trees on their property in the light of ash dieback. This planning should start as soon as possible and costs should be budgeted for as it is a farmer’s responsibility to manage ash dieback on their land.

The Scottish Toolkit for Ash Dieback Action Plans is a useful resource that can help land owners and managers to prepare action plans.

Scottish Forestry advises that because infected trees can become weakened and brittle and react unpredictably, any work such as pruning or felling of trees with advanced ash dieback symptoms can be very dangerous and should only be carried out by trained and experienced arboricultural or forestry professionals.

More information is available on the Scottish

Forestry website: