Trees need to be planted based on the resources available to manage them - Yorkshire Post Letters

A woodland Trust survey has revealed that across the country council's are planting thousands of trees to combat climate change, but they do not have the resources to plant them correctly, due to not having the resources to maintain the trees.

The survey reveals that thousands of trees planted since 2015, costing the taxpayers over £11m, have died partially due to the hot summer of 2022, but some of these could have been avoided, due to poor planting techniques with roots being exposed to the elements in order to plant high numbers of trees.

Lessons have not been learnt by the government, who are planting thousands of trees along the route of HS2 railway between Euston and Birmingham to replace felled woodlands which have died for the same reasons.

Many councils have reduced resources in the amenity parks and grounds maintenance services by amalgamating them into 'streetscene' departments, often led by managers from other professions like refuse collection and recycling, rather than in horticulture.

The answer is to plant less trees, based on what resources can be managed or looked after for a few years resulting in a higher establishment rate.

When I worked in Richmond Park in Surrey, which was over 5,000 acres in the 1990s, and famous to Londoners as being a deer park with a herd of 900 Roe and Red deer, as assistant park manager in charge of the estate we planted about 75-100 native trees a year, which needed trees crates to protect from the deer.

I am sure that some of the growers of British trees such as Richardsons of Whixley, Coles of Leicester and Barcham trees in Ely, will be upset that years of nurture in the nursery have been wasted due to poor planting and aftercare.