Applications open for boosted tree seed production

Domestic tree seed production to be ramped up and biosecurity enhanced with new Government funding and measures

The next round of the Domestic Seed Sourcing Grant is set to be allocated, with £747,000 awarded to boost do mestic tree seed production, create green jobs, help meet the increased demand for trees and achieve net zero targets.

The grant is designed to enhance the quantity, quality and diversity of tree seed sources in England. Most tree seed planted in the UK is of British origin, but evidence suggests that British seed sources may struggle to meet future demand across all species.

Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison MP said: “This funding will improve the diversity of England’s seed supply, increasing the range of species. This will be crucial for creating diverse and resilient woodlands, which are better able to adapt to future climate conditions as well as emerging pests and diseases.

“Increasing seed supply will also be essential to meeting our target to treble tree planting rates by the end of this Parliament.”

In addition to boosting domestic tree seed production, the Domestic Seed Sourcing Grant is designed to support green jobs, helping meet the growing demand for new trees. Eligible activities include:

• Management of existing seed stands –the groups of trees in the landscape from which seed is collected – to ensure they are productive for seed collectors.

• Desk studies and field studies to identify and bring additional seed stands onto the National Register of Basic material.

• Planning and planting of new seed stands.

• Planning and planting of new seed orchards – which are planted using seed or clonal material from known parents outside of the natural landscape in an area convenient for seed collectors.

An extension to the Biosecure Procurement Requirement Pilot was also announced in May, in line with the GB Plant Biosecurity Strategy, to further Government tree-planting funds and address risks to biosecurity.

“We need to have healthy and thriving trees to help tackle some of society’s biggest challenges of climate change and nature decline,” explained Richard Stanford, Forestry Commission Chief Executive. “Protecting our treescape from biosecurity risks is vital to ensuring resilient trees and woodlands.

“Increasing funding for seed sourcing will help manage the risk of pests and diseases, minimising net loss to the existing treescape and protecting our investment in diversifying and expanding tree cover in

Nicola Spence, Chief Plant Health Officer, added: “A healthy, high quality, and diverse treescape is integral to meet our target of achieving net zero emissions by

“This vital funding will diversify our domestic seed source supply and reduce the need to import seeds from abroad. In addition, by extending our Biosecurity Procurement Requirement for applicants to the government’s tree planting funds, we will bolster our biosecurity standards and improve the resilience of our trees against harmful pests and diseases.”

Applicants to these funds, such as local authorities, must commit to sourcing their trees from suppliers who are either accredited under the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme or who have passed a Ready to Plant assessment, as provided by Fera Science Ltd for their order, to ensure they are disease and pest free to minimise future threats of invasive species and tree loss.

The Forestry Commission has produced a new Forestry Nursery Directory to help connect people who buy trees with people who grow trees.

Tubex launches major expansion of recycling scheme

Customers will now be able to drop off used tree shelters at recycling hubs around the UK

Tree shelter specialist Tubex has announced a new improvement to its Tree Shelter Collection and Recycling Programme, offering hubs around the UK where tree shelters can be dropped off to be recycled, completely free of charge.

The scheme is a joint initiative with charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT), which opened several hubs of its own in 2021. Tillhill is also supporting the scheme by offering two locations for shelter collection.

Tubex is aiming to increase accessibility and proximity whilst limiting any unnecessary costs for end users, so that people are not discouraged to recycle shelters at end-of-life by having to fund and organise their disposal process.

All costs after the bags of used tree shelters are dropped at the hubs will be covered, including bailing, washing, recycling and re-pelletizing the material so that it can be used to create more shelters.

Additionally, any Polypropylene (PP) shelters manufactured by other brands will also be accepted.

Tubex’s Marketing & Product Development Director, James Taylor explained: “This new hub scheme is a significant investment from Tubex into the industry to ensure responsible solutions for the tree shelters at their end of life.

“Our hubs now provide a convenient way for our customers to ensure that their shelters will be handled responsively at end-of-life, completely free of cost.”