Protecting sapling trees

In the past two years, we have planted around 450 native sapling trees in the woodland. This will help ensure that there is a healthy understory in the woodland, which will ensure a mixed age habitat.

In order to protect these saplings from attacks by squirrels or deer, we stake the tree and apply tree guards to each one. Our intention is to then ensure that each sapling has around one metre of cleared weeds around it so that it is not competing with other plants for nutrients. This sounds easy but is very time consuming!

We try to do as much of this weeding as we can by hand with the fantastic support of local volunteers. However, due to the large number of sapling trees growing in the woods, at times we do have to use chemical weed-killer.

When the trees are established, we remove the tree guards and stakes and reuse them on younger saplings.

If you would like to help us plant trees and protect young saplings, please check out our volunteering activities.