Transplanting self seeded woodland trees

I spend an awful lot of my working week and some of the early evenings on the computer reading, researching, writing and administrating the network - I like to do something a little different at the weekends.

Last year, the vegetable patch didn't really get going as I spent a lot of my spare time trying to get our barn turned into a kitchen.

Since Christmas I have built fitted cupboards, made a bed for my daughter and built stairs to replace the set of ladder stairs that we inherited when we took over the farm.

I now just have the bannisters and hand rail to complete and that is really the last of the bigger jobs completed so gardening will be on the agenda.

I wish to keep the grounds simple and if I can afford it one day, build a fully enclosed walled garden. This would be the only formal area that I really want. The rest is so natural and I want to keep it that way.

The views and surrounding countryside deserve to be appreciated as they are and I am not sure that a contrived garden area will do our old farmhouse justice.

In the rush to get the Pigeonnaire open for business I literally threw some large limestones onto a footing and crepied (jointed) the face. The terrace is 20mm gravel over soil.

Perhaps one day you will come and see us so it will all become clear.

The track, which is three hundred metres long and leads from a very very quiet country lane, is lined with Lombardi poplar that I grew from 18" cuttings three years ago - one year in the veg patch and two years in their permanent position. They are now between 8'-14' tall.

The track passes the farm and winds its way to Mr Bertrands house some three hundred metres past our house.

However, we never have any traffic apart from a tractor or two or a hunter who may be chasing the hunt or looking for a lost dog. The track is a public right of way but there is no advantage to passing our house.

Perversely, the track that we only use when we take the dogs for a walk looks like it should be the main entrance and maybe once upon a time it was?

I have pictured an avenue of formal trees to grace the approach and today, that vision become a reality and I planted ten Acer campestre - Field Maple - that I lifted from our woodland. They were 2-4 year old self seeded saplings.

The great thing, the same as the Poplar, is the trees are free and judging by the size, I would say that if I had bought them from a garden centre in the UK I reckon the largest ones would have cost £15.00-25.00 each.

I selected a range of different sizes. Partly as an experiment to see what will do best. The larger ones will dominate their space visually but I always prefer to plant young because I believe that in the long run, any plant will produce a much more robust specimen.

I dug all the way around each tree making sure that I did not encroach to much into the thicker roots. The best advice is to retain some soil that is encased around the more fibrous roots because these will be the ones that are taking in the water and nutrients from the surrounding soil.

The thicker roots, about the thickness of an adult thumb, will serving the purpose of anchoring the tree into the soil.

Once I had cut vertically around the tree, I then undercut the main tap root to release the last of the trees grip from the soil.

I tried to avoid shaking the soil from around the roots but two or three of the specimens that I lifted didn't retain the soil. I am hoping that because the tree is still dormant and the sap has not risen that there will not be any adverse effects.

Because I lifted and planted within two hours, I hope that the roots did not dry - fingers crossed.

I dug a hole that was twice the diameter of the tree roots and over double the depth. I was delighted to see that the soil contained many many worms which makes me confident of success.

I then pruned the thicker and damaged roots back and snipped off the side branches closer to the crown.

I broke up the base of the planting hole with the tip of the spade and then lined the base of the planting hole with well rotted horse manure (containing decayed wheat straw).

A layer of the soil was then broken up over the manure and the tree then position on top and straightened and rotated so that the best side is visible from the viewing side.

The remainder of the soil was then used to backfill the planting hole, making sure to shake well and remove any air spaces.

I heeled the moist soil in so that it was firm but not too compacted and then dressed the surface with a thick mulch.

The mulch will help to retain moisture, resist weed growth and also give a the worms some fodder to drag down with which to re-establish a good soil structure.

I came in when it was too dark to really see but tomorrow I will give each tree a full two gallon bucket of water.