Timeline of maintenance
The Woodland Trust identifies 3 phases of woodland development:
Glorious Woodlands will prepare and plant up your space ideally in the autumn, leaving maintenance for the summer months.
Years 1 to 4 are the establishment phase.
Years 5 to 9 are the post establishment phase.
Years 10 to 50 are the long term management phase.
The establishment phase:
After the first 5 years, the canopy will shade the ground. This reduces competition between plants which allows the tree to suffer from less pest damage. The closer trees are planted, the quicker the canopy will close. If the trees grow good roots and a close canopy, they will be more resistant to diseases and drought.
Replacing trees in the first few years after planting is called beating up. It is normal for some trees to fail from difficult conditions or from pest damage. Glorious Woodlands will discuss a maintenance plan with you which involves what percentage of trees you’re willing to accept loosing before you decide to replace them. Glorious Woodlands will maintain trees to create the smallest loss we can.
The post establishment phase
After 5 years, the maintenance will decrease. Paths, access areas and other structures will still require some maintenance but the trees will be more independent.
At this stage, Glorious Woodlands will remove the tree guards. It is important to do this when the guards start to split but before they disintegrate or obstruct growth. Removing the guards means they have worked and the tree has been successful.
The long term management phase
Glorious Woodlands will maintain your woodland or if you prefer, we will provide you with a long term management plan. This involves guides to thinning, pruning, weed eradication and maintenance of structures.
Trees are ready to be thinned when they are around 10 years old or 7 metres tall. This process is repeated on a 5 to 8 year cycle. After 15-20 years, trees can be thinned to open up dense woodland which allows more light onto the woodland floor. This increases the variety and growth of woodland flora as well as creating a valuable habitat for wildlife. Trees will naturally thin over time but can be manually thinned too, manually thinning will require access for equipment and a professional.
Also, after 7 to 10 years, trees are ready to coppice but this depends on species and growth rate.
