NURSERIES
How alive is your soil? Daniel Iddon of SAF Woodland discusses the feasibility of bringing the woodland soil environment into the nursery to support early growth and plant health for successful woodland planting and creation.
Photo credit: Soil Ecology Laboratory
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Stalked Heliozoa of bacteria, fungal species and microbes in the soil. During growing trials to support the SAF Woodland investment in the Ellepot growing system, opportunities for improvement in the growing medium was identified. Peat based composts are typically the cheapest medium but are also the least sustainable. Other peat free alterna-
tives contain a high proportion of brown sterilised mediums or coir as a base, and are not conducive to root structure development or able to provide sufficient natural nutrients. At this point it was clear that an alternative was required. The Forestry Commission launched a Tree Production Innovation Fund (TPIF) in 2021 that has been designed to encourage the development and adoption of new technologies and ways of working that will enhance the quantity, quality and diversity of tree planting stock available for planting in England. By 2025, the government is seeking to dramatically increase tree planting to 10,000 hectares per year in England. To meet these planting targets domestically will require a corresponding increase in the UK production of tree planting material. Caroline Ayre Confor National Manager for England said, “We welcome the Forestry Commission fund to support Tree Production Innovation and projects like SAF woodland are running. The reality of the anticipated increase in afforestation
“WE GROW TREES BASED ON THE SEED SOURCE TO SUIT GEOGRAPHY HABITATS, IS IT POSSIBLE TO GROW TREES IN A GROWING MEDIUM TO SUIT THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT AND SOIL FOOD WEB TO BETTER SUPPORT THE WOODLAND MYCORRHIZAL NETWORK WHEN PLANTED?
Photo credit: SAF Woodland
n the 1960s Maureen Iddon was a pioneer of the post war era. Her decision to start a plant nursery, earned her a reputation in growing and breeding rare herbaceous plants that spanned more than 30 years, including exhibiting at national Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Flower Shows. Observing plants, nature and creating a healthy growing stock has been the bedrock of the family business across three generations. Switching the family nursery to trees in 2019 and developing growing trials, grandson Daniel Iddon recalled a story from Maureen where her Roses bloomed better mulched with donkey manure compared to horse, cow or pig manure. The ‘why’ wasn’t always known and growers will often observe these differences for varying plant species when trying different growing mediums. Compared to the 1960s, we now have a better understanding of plant biology and high technology laboratories to provide the data and the ‘Why?’. Growing healthy plants is essential, but the challenge is whether we can grow trees to also suit their planting environment. This challenge drove Daniel to relocate his nursery operations to his woodland in Pembrokeshire. Planting trees from the growing trials in his woodland, he noticed how the trees were changing outside of the carefully controlled environment (soil moisture, air humidity, chemical food source), adjusting to the new climate local to the woodland with an abundance
Ellepot Growing Trials
60 FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • February 2022
across the U.K. is that plant production will have to evolve. We need to meet both the initial demand of tree supply and ensure that we achieve the aim of delivering healthy successful trees. Whether grown for carbon projects of high quality timber supply the risk posed by pest, disease and climate change are real, and healthy trees stand a greater chance of survival than stressed ones.” SAF Woodland Management has been awarded a TPIF grant and is working to meet Challenge 2 as part of a feasibility study to investigate the development of a living soil. The project aims to improve tree sapling growth and development in a woodland environment. The anticipated outcomes are improved growth rates,
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