The Problem with Populus.

 The Problems with Populus.

So far in this blog I have been referring to the Poplar type trees I have planted as Aspen. I no longer believe this to be the case. Like all poplars they strike easily from cuttings, whips or the longer setts. I acquired the original setts from a friend's garden. He had a large garden and had planted a small arboretum. When he was selling to a developer they suggested felling most in case they got a Tree Preservation Order on them. That would have been highly unlikely and illogical but trying to guess what Newark and Sherwood planning department would do is a mugs game. I thought I collected some coppice regrowth from a Balsamic Poplar.

Large leaf with flattened petiole

The setts took readily at Cairn Wood, and it was quickly apparent they were not Balsamic, I assumed they were a poplar hybrid. To have any value as a timber tree Poplars need to be totally branch free and need cleaning yearly. Some prunings were used as cuttings at Pit wood, particularly in 2013 when flooding increased the area planted with waterlogging tolerant trees. Some time later I noticed that the leaf petioles (stalks) had a flattened cross section. The only tree where a flattened petiole is a diagnostic feature is the Aspen, the European Populus tremula or North American Populus tremuloides. The flattened petioles causing the trembling in the lightest of breezes. I lazily assumed I had Aspen.

Poplar suckers 

September 8th 2022 saw the Royal Forestry Society  Notts and Lincs branch visit the woods. Members said they were not Aspen. They did not produce sufficient suckers and the leaves were much too big and not round enough. It was thought most likely to be the hybrid Beaupre a cross between a Black Cottonwood Poplar Populus trichocarpa and the Eastern Cottonwood Populus deltoides. My Poplar has the large pointed delta shaped leaves of the American cottonwoods. It has the vigour associated with the variety Beaupre. I will assume that is what it is, until something changes my mind! It had not produced any suckers until I pollarded the area for P22 planting. The pollards have coppiced vigorously from the whole stump providing shelter and too much shade. They have also produced numerous suckers and the stumps will need to be removed and treated. The suckers will also need spraying off. The growth rates for it have been very good, volume wise it is almost up with some Eucalypts but it is a much lighter wood. 

Poplar rust.

 An other problem that has just arisen particularly with the regenerating stumps is rust. Poplars are prone to a leaf rust. This has not been an issue while the only poplar leaves were some 20feet or more above the ground. Walking through the poplar stumps in September every stich of clothing becomes yellow. The trees do not suffer unduly, it is just very annoying!

For reference the picture on the left is what Aspen leaves should look like. Not for the first time making an assumption on partial information and not bothering to check, has led me up the Garden path. At least I am in good company. Linnaeus tried to classify all plants based on one characteristic the flower!   

 

  

Preparing for 22/23 Planting Season.

 Preparing for 22/23 Planting Season.

August 2022 saw drought conditions prevail over most of England and Wales. I have some Eucalyptus viminallis and Taiwania cryptomeroides filling their containers. I hope to plant as soon as the soil is wet enough as they can grow roots before the soil is too cold.

Part of the area for planting 22/23 season, before felling the Alder and Aspen. 

Thinking of planting while the country has just been declared in drought may seem odd but there is a lot to do. The area is a continuation of the original Alder and Aspen P13 which was pollarded winter 21/22 and planted in January. Most have survived the drought, with the occasional splash of water, delivered from a watering can. There was the odd millimetre of rain at the end of July and a downpour on the  16th August. I am hoping by planting in the Autumn I will need to do less watering as carrying water down and going down with a watering can only be done on a limited scale. Felling was started in the second week August trees were snedded a week later after the leaves had dried out. The logs were stacked at the track side. Once done the ground was sufficiently clear to fell another batch of trees.

Pollarded Poplar and Alder late August before  all trunks snedded and logged. Left photo previous pollarded area in the background. Right photo small block of Eucalypts in the background.   

The idea of leaving the pollard stumps was admittedly partially laziness. I did think they would provide shelter and shade and raise the humidity through the summer. I also did not have to find something to do with hundreds of 2 to 5 foot logs. They did fulfil their objectives. In the case of the poplars too well as their growth raced away shading the newer trees. Though sheltering from the scorching sun at the peak of the July heatwave may have been advantageous. At the moment the recently felled stumps can be left, but the poplar stumps from last year need to go and be sprayed off. A lot of side growth has been removed so taking them right out is not a necessity and could be done in the spring. I am panting between stumps rather than close to them which I did last year.

On the left Poplar regrowth dominating and shading out the winter 2021/2 planted trees.  The photo on the right shows late summer trimming of the poplar to give the Oak a bit more of a chance.

Pit Wood History part 111

 Pit Wood History Part 3.

The only planting at Pit Wood during  the planting season 2011/12 was the replacement of some trees that had failed in the triangular wood with seedlings of native trees from the woods and the garden, Ash, Sycamore, Birch and Oak.

The 2012/13 season saw the planting of the rectangular field the other side of the Alder shelter belt and ditch that separate the Triangular and Rectangular fields. The original plan was to have two rows of conifers on the East edge then rows of Robinia, Sweet chestnut  and Ash repeated across the field before a row of Alder and Aspen next to the shelter belt were the field approached the ditch. All the main tree species coppice and a sort of short rotation forestry for biomass, wood fuel, was the  aim. The possibility of growing the trees to timber size remained an option, as all are potential timber trees.

July 2012 A hay crop was taken off the field and lines were sprayed before planting began. There are canes marking where the weedkiller was applied.

Plans were thrown into disarray by the arrival of Chalara and a moratorium on the planting of ash. The small area that was to become the Tulip Wood had large Red Oak and Sycamore. It was decided  to plant these to species instead of Ash as alternate rows. The Sycamores could come as transplanted regen and off set the cost of the Red Oaks. 

Two rows of conifers were planted on the open East side of the field. The outside one of Scots Pine the other of Norway Spruce. These were planted with the intention of leaving them as a shelter belt for when coppicing started. 

The Planted field July 2013. The two near rows are the conifers in black plastic mesh guards. The other trees are in spirals. 

There was a further complication. I went down on Christmas Eve 2012 after planting had started and noticed that the water in the ditch was flowing the wrong way. On Boxing day the triangular field was under a couple of feet of water. The triangular field was under at least a foot of water, and some must have been under much more at some time. The ditch side of the rectangular field was flooded. The log foot bridge between the two fields had floated away. Logs which had been stacked in the top corner of the rectangular field were scattered in a ring across the field. A decision was made to increase the area planted with Aspen and Alder. The centre of the Triangular field remained sodden for several weeks. Some of the Eucalypts and Robinia were moved from there into the Rectangular field and were later replaced.