Week 48
The time of year has now arrived to think about moving vegetation, trees especially. My land was once ancient woodland, and no longer has a lawn mower growling over it, so trees are springing up almost wherever I look. The place is crawling with seedlings, many have already become saplings, and some of those will one day become full trees.
The full process, from tree germination to maturity, can take between ten and 30 years. As an ageing human, I might make another ten years but there is no chance I will make 30, so what I am planting now will largely be for those who follow. When I look at the older trees on my land, I realise it was not me who planted them. They were planted by others who knew the trees would see them out. That same logic applies to me.
Trees grow at very different rates. While a weeping willow[i] can reach a height of 15 feet within five years, a ginkgo[ii] can take a century to reach maximum height. An oak[iii] will grow roughly a foot each year, while a sycamore[iv] will grow twice that speed. Slow-growing trees tend to live longer than their faster growing counterparts, although most undergo a drastic decline in growth rate during the winter[v].
The survival of a growing tree is not good. Research undertaken in the tropics and subtropics found an average mortality for planted trees of 18% one year after planting, increasing to 44% after five years. Mortality was lower in forest enrichment sites than in the open, while if the tree was taller when it was planted, it had a better chance of survival[vi]. Further research in Taiwan suggested that between 57 and 40,000 seedlings were needed to make a single sapling. Fast early growth was important to escape this early high mortality[vii]. Success is clearly dependent on location, so what happens in Taiwan does not necessarily apply to UK. However, it does mean I must be careful when transplanting my trees as there is a higher chance a young tree will perish than survive. It also continues to astonish me that anyone wishes to fell a tree when the thing has gone through so much to reach a proper height.
When it comes to growing old, rather like for humans, it can be difficult to accurately age a tree. There are various ways of doing so without felling. One is to use an increment borer to take a small sample and count the annual rings, although this does not work for every tree. For example, a monkey puzzle takes 100 years to grow 66 rings[viii]. The other, for broadleaved trees, is to measure a tree’s circumference (girth)[ix]. Broadleaved trees such as oak, ash[x], beech[xi] and sycamore expand in girth by 1.5-2cm each year. In open conditions, such as parkland, this growth rate can be even more, perhaps 2.5cm annually. By measuring a trunk’s girth and dividing it by 1.5, 2, or 2.5, a good idea of age can be gained. This is known as Mitchell’s Rule and is widely used[xii].
Meanwhile, conifers are different and commonly show a regular pattern of growth, producing what is known as a whorl of branches each year. By following the main trunk upwards, it is possible to see a whorl of branches radiating out from the trunk at one level, followed by a clear section, then another whorl, and so on. One whorl is one year. Counting is easier for younger trees[xiii]. However, for a tree to have reached a ripe old age makes it the exception not the rule.
Although a tree can be transplanted from one position to another at any time, it is best to transplant when the tree is dormant as it will not have leaves or fruit, so is less likely to lose too much water when it is transported. The height of summer is not a good time to transplant, autumn can work well, but if the ground freezes in winter, it is best to also avoid transplantation. Sometimes I have got it wrong, which is why I have become an obsessive. A tree never seems to die instantly. It is a slow process that can take several months. Trees can also go on strike for up to a year after they have been moved. They just stand there, at whatever height, and often do nothing. The second year is when they start growing. Surprisingly, trees do have feelings and can be out of sorts, just like humans. I am not joking[xiv].
Transplanting a tree is not just a matter of digging one up and replanting it somewhere different. There are six steps to it[xv], as follows:
1. Prune the roots
This process should start a few months before the actual relocation begins, by pruning the roots. I do that with a spade. This encourages the tree to grow fresh feeder roots that will take in more water and nutrients, so it can survive when transplanted.
2. Pick a good location
No matter how carefully a tree is transplanted, it will not do well unless it is moved to a good location. It also needs the right amount of space, and an adequate supply of water.
Trees with similar needs are best planted near each other.
3. Transplant sturdy species
Some species of tree do better with a transplant than others. For the best success, only move those trees that are sufficiently sturdy enough to survive. For example, elms and maples transplant easily, and have a rapid growth rate. Oaks and nut-bearing trees are incredibly slow[xvi].
4. Know your roots
I first dig a small amount around the tree to get an idea of the size of its root system. I may already have gathered some idea about this when I was root pruning. I next start digging the hole into which the tree will go and make the hole about twice as wide as the root ball, but not quite twice as deep. I always prepare the new hole before transplanting the tree as the less time the roots are exposed, the better the chance of tree survival.
5. Water the soil
A day before the tree is moved, I water the soil around it, although in Lakeland water shortage is not something we commonly see. It is easier to dig a tree out of moist soil rather than dry, and the roots stay together better.
6. Move the tree
It is then time for transplantation. I dig right around the tree and keep as much of its root ball intact as possible. Placing hessian under the tree, I can then use it to lift the tree out of the ground. I next fasten the hessian around the root ball, and carry the tree to its new home, and plant it along with its hessian and all. I fill the hole around the tree with soil, gently tread it down, add water, then mulch on top as well. It is then a matter of waiting, hoping, and keeping my fingers crossed. I work on nothing happening for at least a year, although anything less is a bonus.
On my land I have several trees that require transplantation, and I will be doing that over the next few days. At least I think I will, as I have recently heard the longer range weather forecast[xvii], and there is snow around the corner. I have a large sycamore and a broad-leaved lime[xviii] that started off as young seedlings, then saplings, and were happy in each other’s company. Now both have grown taller, and I can see one will need to give way. Trees are very competitive for sunlight, water, and nutrients[xix]. I am taking the initiative and aiming to transplant the sycamore. Its roots have already been pruned. There are also several hollies[xx] that are competing with a Sawara cypress[xxi], two willows[xxii] that are growing speedily, and two mountain ash[xxiii]as well. Some of these need moving. I must work out whether now is the right moment, or perhaps I have missed the boat and will have to think again later. The weather forecast has not made the decision easy.
As the weather turns colder, so the number of uninvited visitors to my house increases. It is one of the troubles of renaturing, as I am surrounded by natural landscape. The wildlife believes I am renaturing for them, never offers thanks, multiplies around me, and regards my house as its own. Last week it was a shrew[xxiv] that looked at me disdainfully, a what-are-you-doing-here expression on its snout as it strutted pompously down a corridor. Meanwhile, in the loft above me I can hear the scampering of little feet and scratching of walls, around my bath there are plenty of spiders[xxv], in the living room there are millipedes[xxvi], while right outside my front door I have seen a winter moth[xxvii].
The animals I am encouraging are very resourceful and will find their way indoors through the tiniest gap. My house was built more than a century ago, so there are gaps almost wherever I look. It is as if I will see more wildlife indoors than if I go outside. Fortunately, I do not have a fear of spiders, which is just as well, as there are plenty to see. I am a believer in the superstition:
“If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.[xxviii]”
The most common folk myth about killing spiders is that it will bring on a storm. Many people believe this - I am a believer - and restrain themselves from killing spiders as a result. Through all the rain and storms in Lakeland, I sense there must be somebody who is actively killing spiders[xxix]. I go out of my way to keep the creatures alive, so Lakeland’s excessive rainfall cannot be down to me.
In addition to the spiders, mice have also decided to come indoors, which may explain the scratching. Much as I believe myself to be cleanly, a mouse will always find something I have missed. So will rats, that also seek indoor warmth when it is cold outside. Winter mice, even if mice are known not to hibernate, are a way of life. Approximately a quarter of households report indoor mice or rats in winter[xxx]. Enter the mousetrap. There was a time when I used traditional mousetraps, which ended up with a dead mouse, occasionally a rat. These days I remain kindly, and use only humane mouse traps, although even these have problems.
There is a dilemma when it comes to a rodent invasion. Thankfully, mice seem to be more common indoors than rats, but I always have a certain level of suspicion when I hear scratching. Am I really sure it is a mouse? I have both on my land, although I can gladly report that have yet to see a rat indoors. Differentiating between the two is in the scat. Mouse scat, many call it poop, is smaller than a rice grain and pointed at each end. Rat scat is rounder, larger, glistening, and about the same size as a rice grain. The two are handled differently by pest controllers, so it is important to establish the difference. Mice are also inquisitive and will cast this way and that, looking at almost everything. They seem also to be Olympian poopers, rather like deer. With mice, there is poop all over the place. Rats are far more restrained, not so inquisitive, and will go straight for something, whatever it may be.
To me, the least humane mousetrap of all is the sticky glue trap. This square of simple glue and cardboard is one of the most effective ways to catch a mouse, but I have never encountered a still-living mouse on one of them. The traps look humane but are not. Once trapped by the glue, a mouse is stuck and can go nowhere. There is no way to safely remove the animal from the glue, so the result is a slow and terrifying death[xxxi]. Animals can struggle for days trying to tear off their own limbs and skin, and those that cannot escape die from starvation or dehydration. Some animals’ heads become stuck to the adhesive, and they may die of suffocation. Glue traps have thus been outlawed in Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, much of Australia, and many locations in the USA[xxxii]. I do not use glue traps.
The most effective rodent controls focus on repellents, deterrents, and exclusion - at least according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)[xxxiii]. Deterrents are some of the best ways to keep rodents from coming inside. One cannot do much about the warmth they seek, but one can minimise the amount of food to which they have access.
However, it is perfectly possible to trap mice alive and release them into the wild. Before I do that, I spend a good length of time trying to find where they are getting in. I generally need a torch so that I can hunt for holes and cracks where the rodents might be entering, and I look for any scat and signs of chewed food. Access points can be truly minuscule and can be no larger than the size of a ten-pence piece, so there is barely any such thing as an opening that is too small. If the tip of my thumb can fit in a hole, a mouse can as well.
Live cage or box traps are considered the most humane ways to catch mice, so long as they are checked regularly throughout the day. Mice have tiny nervous systems and as prey animals, they are particularly susceptible to many things, including exposure, dehydration, and simple stress. Each of these can kill a mouse as surely as a glue trap if humane traps are ignored[xxxiv].
I do not have a 100% success rate in keeping mice alive with the humane trap that I use, simply because I forget to check it and have allowed my thoughts to wander. Mostly the mouse remains alive, and I then release it somewhere on my land. The problem? The moment I do that, the mouse dashes back into the house, using its chosen access point, unless I have found and blocked off access beforehand.
As for bait, perhaps thanks to a childhood dominated by Tom and Jerry, the Disney cartoon[xxxv], I had always thought cheese was the answer. That was until I discovered chocolate. Mice adore it, so chocolate is now all I use. Mice are predominantly nut and seed eaters, so peanut butter or hazelnut spread are alternatives. Mice may have come indoors to avoid the cold, but still need to make a nest. Cotton balls, dental floss, yarn, and twine are thus also good ways of enticing a mouse to trigger a trap[xxxvi].
For me, the bait I use is hazelnut chocolate, on the assumption I can resist the temptation myself as I confess to being a chocoholic. That is the real problem with humane traps. The predator, me, gobbles the bait. Hunting for mice can be quite calorie intensive.
***
Acknowledgement
Take it from me - none of this would be possible without the help of RSG Horticulture. Rufus, who runs it, has far more energy than me and is full of ideas and skills. Do contact him through https://www.rsghorticulture.com.
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References
[i] Weeping willow (Salix babylonica). Native to China, the weeping willow is now a common sight by lakes and rivers across the UK. First introduced to England in the 18th century, most weeping willows in UK today are female. Alongside being a beautiful ornamental plant, the nectar-rich flowers of weeping willows provide a key source of food for insects like bees and butterflies. See https://www.kew.org/plants/weeping-willow. Accessed 24 November 2023.
[ii] Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba). The maidenhair tree is one of the oldest living tree species in the world.
Known as a ‘living fossil’, it is the sole survivor of an ancient group of trees that outlived the dinosaurs.
Though endangered in the wild because of deforestation, the maidenhair tree is cultivated throughout the world and prized for the medicinal properties of its leaves. The oldest recorded maidenhair tree is an incredible 3,500 years old. See https://www.kew.org/plants/maidenhair-tree. Accessed 24 November 2023.
[iii] See weeks 1, 23, 31, 34, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 entries.
[iv] See weeks 6, 23, 34, 38 and 39 entries.
[v] Kilgore G. How Long Does It Take for a Tree To Grow? 45 Trees Ranked by How Fast. 12 April 2023. See https://8billiontrees.com/gardening/how-long-does-it-take-for-a-tree-to-grow/#:~:text=The%20entire%20process%20from%20germination,well%20you%20care%20for%20it. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[vi] Banin LF, Raine EH, Rowland LM, Chazdon RL, Smith SW, Rahman NEB, Butler A, Philipson C, Applegate GG, Axelsson EP, Budiharta S, Chua SC, Cutler MEJ, Elliott S, Gemita E, Godoong E, Graham LLB, Hayward RM, Hector A, Ilstedt U, Jensen J, Kasinathan S, Kettle CJ, Lussetti D, Manohan B, Maycock C, Ngo KM, O'Brien MJ, Osuri AM, Reynolds G, Sauwai Y, Scheu S, Silalahi M, Slade EM, Swinfield T, Wardle DA, Wheeler C, Yeong KL, Burslem DFRP. The road to recovery: a synthesis of outcomes from ecosystem restoration in tropical and sub-tropical Asian forests. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023 Jan 2;378(1867):20210090. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0090. Epub 2022 Nov 14.
[vii] Chang‐Yang CH, Needham J, Lu CL, Hsieh CF, Sun IF, McMahon SM. Closing the life cycle of forest trees: The difficult dynamics of seedling‐to‐sapling transitions in a subtropical rainforest. Journal of Ecology. 2021 Jul;109(7):2705-16.
[viii] Wilkins C. The rise and fall in popularity of the monkey puzzle tree. 20 October 2020. Since the mid-nineteenth century, passion for the monkey puzzle tree with its mellifluous botanical name Araucaria araucana has grown and declined as horticultural fashions dictated. At one time, they were found only in the gardens of fashionable homes across the land but today, they’re once again considered rather vulgar and unattractive.
Botanists worldwide continue to study these coniferous plants and find their habit of developing branches with scaly whorls arranged like the spokes of a wheel, fascinating. Instead of growing one whorl a year (like pines, spruce, and the like) it averages just two-thirds of a single whorl in a year. See https://www.irishpost.com/home-garden/the-rise-and-fall-in-popularity-of-the-monkey-puzzle-tree-195806#:~:text=From%20this%20it%20follows%20that,a%20height%20of%20150%20feet. Accessed 24 November 2023.
[ix] Estimating the age of a tree from its girth. See https://www.wdvta.org.uk/pdf/Estimating-the-age-of-trees.pdf. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[x] See weeks 39 and 41 entries.
[xi] See weeks 23, 34, 37, 38, and 39 entries.
[xii] Mitchell A. A field guide to the trees of Britain and northern Europe. A field guide to the trees of Britain and northern Europe. 1974.
[xiii] Tree age. See https://rfs.org.uk/learning/schools-and-outdoor-ed/tremendous-trees/tree-age/#:~:text=Broadleaved%20trees%20such%20as%20oak,a%20good%20idea%20of%20age. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xiv] Grant R. Do trees talk to each other? See https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/#:~:text=They%20don%27t%20have%20nervous,signals%20like%20wounded%20human%20tissue.”. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xv] When is the best time to transplant trees? 5 November 2018. See https://pevachcorp.com/when-is-the-best-time-to-transplant-trees-all-answers-here/. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xvi] McDonald GV. Transplanting trees. See https://www.statebystategardening.com/transplanting-trees/. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xvii] UK long range weather forecast. See https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/#:~:text=Outlook%20for%20Sunday%20to%20Tuesday,with%20sunny%20spells%20on%20Tuesday. Ccessed 24 November 2023.
[xviii] See week 38 entry.
[xix] Kocher SD, Harris R. Tree growth and competition. See https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8235.pdf. Accessed 24 November 2023.
[xx] See weeks 3, 4, 23, 26, and 44 entries.
[xxi] See week 4 entry.
[xxii] See weeks 23, 38, and 42 entries.
[xxiii] See weeks 2 and 23 entries.
[xxiv] See weeks 47 & 48 entries.
[xxv] See weeks 21, 26, 38 & 46 entries.
[xxvi] See week 21 entry.
[xxvii] Winter moth. Operophtera brumata. One of the few moth species that is active in its adult stage over the winter months, and it is able to cope with freezing temperatures. The males and females look very different since the females only have short stubby wings and cannot fly. To attract a mate, the female will crawl up a tree trunk and give off pheromones. Great tits and blue tits feed their young on Winter Moth caterpillars and will time their breeding to coincide with the moth’s lifecycle. Eggs are laid on twigs or in cracks in the bark, where they spend the rest of the winter. See https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/winter-moth. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xxviii] The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (5 ed.). Edited by: John Simpson and Jennifer Speake. Publisher:
Oxford University Press Print Publication Date: 2008. Print ISBN-13:9780199539536 Published online: 2009
Current Online Version: 2009. eISBN: 9780191727740. Seehttps://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199539536.001.0001/acref-9780199539536-e-1306. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xxix] Does killing spiders bring bad luck? 8 August 2022. See https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2022/0808/1312024-spiders-folklore-superstitions-ireland/#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20folk%20myth,somewhere%20is%20killing%20poor%20spiders. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xxx] Why rodent infestations are more likely in winter. See https://eliminateem.com/blog/squirrels/rodent-infestations-winter/. Accessed 24 November 2023.
[xxxi] How to use glue traps and boards. See https://tomcatbrand.com/en-ca/product-types-tips/how-to-use-glue-traps-and-boards.html#:~:text=The%20glue%20itself%20is%20made,stuck%20to%20the%20glue%20trap. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xxxii] Glue traps. See https://www.mspca.org/animal_protection/glue-traps/#:~:text=Glue%20Traps%20are%20Cruel&text=Animals%20can%20struggle%20for%20days,die%20from%20starvation%20or%20dehydration. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xxxiii] Living in harmony with house mice and rats. See https://www.peta.org/issues/wildlife/living-harmony-wildlife/house-mice/. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xxxiv] Krosofsky A. Humane ways to catch a mouse. 10 December 2020. See https://www.greenmatters.com/p/how-to-catch-a-mouse-humanely. Accessed 22 November 2023.
[xxxv] Wikipedia. Tom and Jerry. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry. Accessed 24 November 2023.
[xxxvi]7 mouse trap mistakes you’re making. See https://www.victorpest.com/articles/mouse-trap-mistakes. Accessed 24 November 2023.
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