Stephen Carroll asked 14 years ago
I want to plant some native Irish trees in about half an acre of land to create a small dense wood. I have no plans to ever cut down these trees once sown.I was thinking about common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and common alder (Alnus glutinosa) as an option. I dug a few holes in the field and on average there’s about 1.5-2 feet of depth in clay (good clay soil) but past that the ground is quiet rocky. So I was wondering if the trees that I am thinking about sowing are suitable for this area and how far apart these trees (or perhaps other trees) should be planted in order to let them grow to their full size. Have you a particular native irish tree that you’d like to see growing?
1 Answers
Gerry Daly Staff answered 6 years ago
The ground is suitable for a wide range of trees. Alder is suitable for wet gorund but if the ground is not wet, use ash, oak, birch, holly and hazel. The ash and oak will eventually take over and dominate the smaller species.
Plant about 1.5 to 2 metres apart each way but randomized and not in straight lines. Use small whips or transplants, 60 to 90 cm tall. Keep weeds down in the firs few years. The trees can be thinned after 10 to 20 years.
