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Tree Growing

The document provides information about growing oak trees from acorns collected in The National Forest area of England. It encourages participating in the "Grow a Tree from Seed" scheme which involves collecting acorns in fall, nurturing the seedlings for 2-3 years, and then planting them at a community event. Detailed instructions are given on collecting acorns and caring for the young trees until they are ready to transplant and help expand the forest.

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55 views

Tree Growing

The document provides information about growing oak trees from acorns collected in The National Forest area of England. It encourages participating in the "Grow a Tree from Seed" scheme which involves collecting acorns in fall, nurturing the seedlings for 2-3 years, and then planting them at a community event. Detailed instructions are given on collecting acorns and caring for the young trees until they are ready to transplant and help expand the forest.

Uploaded by

link2u_007
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Grow a Tree

from Seed
The National Forest is situated at the
very heart of England, encompassing
parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and
Staffordshire covering 200 square
miles in total. It is an ambitious project
which aims to link the ancient forests of
Needwood in the west and Charnwood
in the east with new woodland areas,
for the beneft and enjoyment of the
nation. By taking part in the Grow a
Tree from Seed scheme, you can make
a pledge to contribute to this exciting
project. You can help by collecting
acorns and caring for them for about
two years, until they are strong enough
to bring to one of our special tree
planting days in The National Forest.
Tall oaks from little acorns grown
Geoffrey Chaucer, 1385
Why Oak trees?
Oak trees are the most widely planted
tree in The National Forest. We are
trying to create a native, indigenous
woodland and, when mature, oaks
will form a magnifcent feature in the
landscape and support and enhance
over 250 species of wildlife. If you grow
oak trees from native seed we will
always be able to fnd a suitable site
for you to plant them. It may also be
possible to plant other native trees
(e.g. birch or ash), but unfortunately we
do not plant non-native species such as
horse chestnut or sycamore.
What do you need to do?
This leafet provides you with
information on when to collect acorns
and how best to nurture and care
for them during the frst two or three
years of life. At this stage they will be
big enough to transplant and survive
in the wild.
Once you have collected and potted
your acorns, return the Seedling
Pledge form to the National Forest
Company and we will keep your
details on our database. At an
appropriate time, we will invite you to
a community tree planting event in
The National Forest.
The National Forest Company
Enterprise Glade, Bath Yard, Moira,
Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 6BA
01283 551211
[email protected]
www.nationalforest.org
Did you know?
Oak trees are native to England and
feature heavily in our history, legends
and folklore maybe thats why we have
a soft spot for them.
The oak was sacred to the Celtic people
and amongst other things, they made
magic wands from the wood.
The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest is
estimated to be between 800 and 1,000
years old and is reputed to be where
Robin Hood and his Merrie Men hid from
enemies during the Middle Ages.
Did you know?
After the Battle of Worcester in 1651, the
future King Charles II hid from pursuing
Roundheads in an oak tree at Boscobel
House. This became known as The
Royal Oak. Many pubs throughout the
country have this name and this is why!
Oaks were grown, in times gone by, for
their superior timber qualities for use in
house and ship building. Lord Horatio
Nelsons fagship, HMS Victory, is made
mostly of oak and is the only surviving
warship that saw action in the American
War of Independence, the French
Revolutionary War and the famous Battle
of Trafalgar in 1805.
Planting events
The National Forest Company holds
a Grow a Tree from Seed planting
event once a year between November
and March (the tree planting season).
This is a fantastic day, with people
and families of all ages coming along
to plant their young trees. Everyone
has a story to tell about their trees and
we love hearing them!
Volunteers will be on hand at the
planting site and will show you what
to do and help you if needed. It really
is a great occasion, people are really
enthusiastic and cant wait to go out
and start collecting more acorns!
So, why not get collecting and join us
at a future event? That way you can
do your bit to help make The National
Forest grow.
Photographs: Christopher Beech & NFC
Step 1
During October and November, you need
to go out and collect the acorns you are
going to grow. Try to collect from the
healthiest trees you see, so that yours will
grow strong. Also try to collect from mature
trees in groups, not isolated individuals.
Remember to send in your Seedling
Pledge.
Step 2
You will then also need to consider what
sort of container to grow them in. You can
use a plant pot, but why not try using a
large yoghurt pot or cut the bottom off an
empty plastic bottle?
Step 3
Soak the acorns overnight in warm water.
Then carefully peel off the outer shell. Try
not to damage the inner seed (called the
kernel), as this is the part of the nut that
will grow into a tree.
Step 4
Cut some holes in the base of your pot and
put some stones at the bottom to help with
drainage. Then put in some soil or peat free
compost so that the pot is about two-thirds
full. Finally, stand the pot on a saucer.
Step 5
Place three acorns in your pot (a single
acorn may not survive) and cover with a
layer of soil. Cover your pot with a plastic
bag and put it in a sunny place on the
windowsill.
Step 6
As soon as you see the seedlings appear
(this is called germination) remove the bag.
Make sure you water the seedlings once or
twice a week and keep the soil moist.
Step 7
When the seedlings grow to a height of
approximately 75mm, choose the seedling
that looks the strongest as this has the
greatest chance of survival. Remove the
other two seedlings, which could then be
replanted into new pots. The remaining
seedling now has more room to grow.
Step 8
Keep watering your plant and place the
seedling and container outside in the
summer. The following autumn, a year
after you collected the seeds, the sapling
can be moved to a bigger pot. The sapling
then needs to grow for one, or maybe two,
more years, after which time it will be strong
enough to be planted out - either in The
National Forest, your own garden or school
grounds.
You can help create The National Forest by growing young oaks from acorns you
have collected yourself. Why not have a go by following these simple steps?
Why dont you grow a tree from seed?

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