Trees

It is an order made by a local planning authority (in Norfolk this is done by the District Councils) which makes it an offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot, wilfully damage or wilfully destroy any tree protected without obtaining permission from the local authority. Its purpose is to protect trees which make a significant impact on their local surroundings. The order can cover anything from a single tree to woodlands, including hedgerow trees, but not hedges, bushes or shrubs. Further information is available from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tree-preservation-orders-and-trees-in-conservation-areas  


 Picture by Cornel Howells

 

Many horse chestnut trees in Norfolk are suffering from an infestation of the horse chestnut leaf miner which causes patches on the leaves to go brown in July and early August. Bad infestations will cause the leaves to become dry, brittle and brown and eventually they will curl and drop off. This leaf miner which is part of the life cycle of the moth Cameraria ohridella was first recorded in the UK at Wimbledon, London in 2002 but has rapidly spread northwards reaching Norfolk in 2004 and becoming widespread in 2006 and 2007. The good news is that trees are not killed by this moth. Despite the browning of leaves and early leaf fall there is no evidence that damage by this caterpillar leads to a decline in tree health, die back of branches, or tree death. Affected trees will releaf and flower the following spring so please do not chop down affected trees.

There are some simple actions which may help reduce the infestation to a tree the following year. Sweep up fallen leaves and burn them. Alternatively composting the leaves and covering them with a 10cm layer of soil or a 15 – 30 cm layer of other plant material will kill the pupae as long as the compost heap is left until May the following year. Leaf removal works because it eliminates the first generation of moths next spring and though trees may become re-infested later by the adult moths it will reduce the amount of damage to the tree. Be alert to other diseases of horse chestnuts such as bleeding canker which causes weeping lesions on the bark of trunk or branches. This disease can kill horse chestnuts and if this is suspected advice should be sought from a tree surgeon or arboriculturalist.

Picture by Elizabeth Dack

Honey Fungus is the commonest of the toadstools which form large clusters at the base of trees and stumps. The caps are often honey-coloured, sometimes darker, usually with small scales. The gills are pale brownish and there is usually a ring (or ‘collar’) round the stem. Another clue is the presence of tough black threads (‘bootlaces’) under the bark of affected wood. In fact, this fungus is one of the most variable of our common fungi. The other common clustering fungus on stumps is Sulphur-tuft, smaller and yellower than Honey Fungus and it has dirty-greenish gills. It does not attack living trees.

Honey Fungus is a killer of trees (and some herbaceous plants) but it can take several years after the appearance of the toadstools before the tree dies. Removing them won’t help because it is the mycelium within the tree’s tissues which is causing the harm. Honey Fungus continues to consume the wood after the death of the tree.

Preventing the spread of the fungus is a major undertaking (involving digging, plastic barriers and a fungicide called Armillatox) but is rarely worth the effort. The good news is that it typically attacks the odd tree and rarely decimates a garden or wood.

Picture by Elizabeth Dack

If your hedge comprises of plants with berries, it is better to leave until late winter so that the birds have the benefit of the berries during the winter.

When undertaking work on any hedge, check that there are no birds nesting as it is an offence under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while the nest is in use or being built - the breeding bird season is seen to be from 1 March to the 31 August inclusive.  So any work on hedges is best carried out after the end of August and before March, but don't forget to take into account the presence of berries, as these are an important source of food for many different animals.

Picture by Elizabeth Dack

Mechanical fails or rotary driven cutters are widely used by farmers and landowners and the majority of hedges will recover from this. When cut by this method the hedge will look severely beaten for a few weeks. When the new shoots do grow back they will form multiple shoots and then branch outwards rather than up.

Landowners using a reciprocating bar cutter to cut the hedges will often leave a neater cut on the hedge with less risk of infection to individual plants within the hedge.

By law landowners are required to trim hedges back if they are alongside public highways, footpaths or any public right of way if it is preventing ease of access or affecting safety of the highway user to drivers or pedestrians. The debris from cutting must also be cleared up afterwards.

Under Cross Compliance regulations, which most agricultural land is now under, the cutting of hedges is prohibited between 1st March and 31st July to prevent nesting birds and other wildlife being disturbed.

The cutting of standard trees within a hedgerow is up to the landowner. If they are in one of the agricultural schemes such as the Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) or Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) then there are rules and guidelines on hedgerow management. Ideal hedgerow management is not always easy to achieve. The ‘text book’ way to cut a hedge is to cut in an ‘A’ shape with a wide bottom and flat top to give good ground cover for nesting birds also to cut during the winter months to lessen disturbance to wildlife but this is not always possible for landowners.

The health of the mature trees is put at risk by infection when cut by flail mowers but the majority of them will survive. The longer outlook for them will be that they grow outwards and get incorporated into the hedge rather than grow up to be mature tress if the cutting continues. Without some form of management hedges will become gappy at the base and less attractive to certain wildlife species. Without the flail cutter it would be true that many more hedgerows would have been lost in the UK, as landowners would have grubbed far more out, prior to legislation which now restricts their complete removal.

Picture by Richard Brunton

Veteran or ancient trees are classed as a tree that is of interest culturally, historically or aesthetically because of its great age or size. Ancient trees are key features of our landscape and are very important sites for wildlife.

Veteran trees are usually old enough to be hollow or have rotting heartwood. Which provides ideal habitats for wildlife, including, birds, bats, fungi and beetles.

The parameters for defining an ancient tree is one that is no less than 3.77 metres in girth at 1.3 meters above root level. The location of ancient trees can also be identified from old maps or written records. They are usually at least 100 years old.

To see some great ancient trees in Norfolk, you can visit NWT Thursford Wood to see ancient oaks and NWT Hethel Old Thorn to see our 700 year old hawthorn.Other locations to visit are: NWT Ranworth Broad, Felbrigg Hall (National Trust) and Lynford Aboretum(Forestry Commission).

Picture by Georgina Dean

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, no one can remove any hedgerow at a time when any bird nesting is disturbed - 1 March to 31 August. At all other times, a hedge between domestic properties or in a private garden is not protected by any law preventing its removal. However, the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 states that no countryside hedge can be removed without permission if it is more than 20m in length.
For further information visit:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/countryside-hedgerows-regulation-and-management

Picture by Tim Stringer

Native trees are much better than non-native trees for attracting wildlife to your garden. This is because native trees house a wider variety of invertebrates, which in turn attract mammals and birds. Trees with lots of interesting features such as dead branches, splits, and hollows support the widest range of invertebrates, so try not to ‘tidy up’ trees unless they are unsafe.

Different trees will attract different species. Acorns from oak trees will attract squirrels, jays and woodpigeons. Cones from alder trees attract goldfinches. Dense trees such as yew and holly provide good habitat for greenfinches. Beech trees attract tits and chaffinches, but few insects. Berries from rowan and ash will attract many bird species. Willow trees host more than 90 species of moth caterpillar, which in turn will attract bats. Birch trees attract many species of birds, insects and caterpillars. Treecreepers nest in large, mature trees with loose bark, while hollow branches provide perfect habitat for tawny owls.

To be wildlife friendly it needs to provide a combination of shelter from the elements and predators, a supply of food and good breeding sites. A good hedge will be composed of a mixture of native species to encourage a variety of wildlife. Consider using 50% hawthorn in with a selection of three or four other species to add diversity. Other good species to use are blackthorn, field maple, dog wood, common alder, hazel, crab apple and holly. Once the hedge is established you can introduce climbers such as dog rose, honeysuckle and ivy all of which will increase the value to wildlife of your hedge

Plant your hedge by creating two staggered lines with plants spaced 30 to 45 cm (12”-18”) apart with the second row about 45cm (18”) from the first.

New hedges are best planted during autumn and winter (October – February). Avoid periods when the ground is frozen or water-logged. Dig over the area for planting, one spade blade deep and remove any grass or weeds. Bare rooted trees and shrubs (whips) will be cheaper than pot grown and are better for establishing a hedge. Most hedgerow trees or shrubs do not require any compost unless your soil is sandy or heavy clay.

You will need to weed around the base of your new plants for the first couple of years and water in dry periods during the growing season.The hedge can be lightly trimmed in the autumn every other year but remember to leave some of the hedge uncut to provide plenty of berries for winter and avoid cutting your hedge during the nesting season of birds (March to late July).

To provide more homes for wildlife; leave the grass long leading up to the hedge and leave leaf piles and log piles at its base to provide a variety of habitats for invertebrates and small mammals. Flowers such as snowdrops, primroses, red campions, dog roses, honeysuckles, foxgloves and violets can be planted at the base of your hedge – these will encourage insects to visit. Foxgloves are especially attractive to bees and honeysuckle will attract moths at night.