Trees for the future

What could be more beautiful than a noble, mature tree that has been able to fully develop? Not much in our opinion. Whether a tree is in the middle of the landscape, in a park, on a town square or in your back garden, it adds allure and lends character to any location. Just ask yourself, when you are in a pleasant place, how it would look without trees. Unless you live above the tree line, it will probably be a lot less attractive than it is with trees. Trees are essential to our well-being and it is no coincidence that parks are full on nice days. People feel good in the presence of large trees. They provide us with beautiful scenery as well as cooling us down and offering shade on hot days. Mature trees create a lovely place to sit. They are the perfect place to relax, picnic, play or have a chat. In fact, these oldies carry out a very important social role.

Planting trees sustainably

Just as we are now able to enjoy the trees planted by the generations before us, we can also let future generations enjoy a green legacy. It is therefore important to include trees in new plans at an early stage, not just to fill gaps but as key elements in outdoor areas where they are given room to grow and thrive. Unfortunately this is no guarantee of a long life. Spatial plans can change and hinder the development of trees; they can be hit by disease or in the worst case felled before they have even reached maturity. This brings us to the durability aspect of greenery, because mature trees are lasting trees, yet many that have the potential, never reach maturity.

Which criteria must a future tree meet?

In order to make sure a tree endures, in the sense that subsequent generations are able to enjoy them, a number of conditions must be met.

To start with, select a good quality tree: a tree that has been regularly transplanted so it has been able to develop a healthy root system; a tree with a well-shaped crown that has been professionally pruned and trained.
Select a tree that has been sustainably bred; we are, after all, talking about a green legacy. Furthermore, sustainably bred trees are in a better position to withstand outside influences because they have built up a greater resistance to diseases and infestations.
Select a tree that is suited to the circumstances at the site, not only taking into consideration the soil type but also factors such as wind, frost, paving and moisture.
Choose a species that has the potential to grow old. In principle these are the somewhat slow growing trees which produce smaller cells that harden better, making the heartwood harder and more enduring.
Provide the tree with a site where there is enough space above and below ground. Bear in mind that a first magnitude tree needs around one m3 per year of growth.
Take care that the tree is planted by an expert. The site must be assessed beforehand and the soil improved if necessary. The trees must be suitably anchored.
During the first years, ensure there is proper support pruning to shape a nice, balanced crown. You can avoid the necessity of support pruning by planting a larger tree whose ultimate crown has been shaped at the nursery.

Diversity hugely important when planting trees

In addition there are of course a great many factors over which we have no control. Nobody knows exactly how and at what rate climate change will occur although we do have an idea of the effects and their influence on trees. We know that a number of species will be better equipped when the time comes, but there are still lots of uncertainties. For instance, we do not know which diseases or infestations we will have to deal with in the future or whether the trees that appear to be strong now will still be so in future. We can only respond to this lack of certainty at the moment through biodiverse planting. By planting a wide variety of species we will prevent deforestation through the loss of vast populations of trees and we reduce the threat of disease. If we bear the above conditions in mind we will create the right conditions for the development of trees for the future.

Trees for this application