MI002@macaulay-land-use.scot-agric-res-inst.ac.uk ("Alan Sibbald, Pentlandfield") (10/26/90)
We are still in the early stages of agroforestry research in the UK and on a
number of recently-planted research sites in the country we used standard
plastic forestry tree shelters to protect newly planted trees of various
species in plots which are grazed by sheep.
Some of these sites are now at the end of their third year and the trees have
emerged significantly from the shelters which are 1.5m tall. Some trees are
over 2m tall but they have not girthed up because the tree shelter restricts
lateral movement, the result is that the trees will not, in many cases, be
self-supporting. We would like to replace the current shelter with a form of
protection which allows lateral movement of the tree while affording adequate
protection from browsing animals.
We have recently set up, on an area grazed by sheep, trees protected by plastic
net tree guards of 1.5m height and 1m circumference. We are comparing these
with trees protected by wrapping the stems in hessian and trees with no
protection.
It is early days yet but the hessian wrap appears to be as successful as the
plastic net guard. Does anyone who reads this board have any experience of the
use of hessian or other material as a wrapping to protect tree stems against
browsing by animals? If so we will be grateful if they will contact us, via
this board or directly.
Alan Sibbald & Colin Campbell
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Macaulay Land Use Research Institute | e-mail: mi002@uk.ac.sari.mluri |
Pentlandfield | |
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