Oak Saplings

We planted an oak sapling for both the Queens Jubillee and for the Kings Coronation on the Green. Whenever we plant oak sapling we think about the relation their roots have with soil-borne fungi called 'mycorrhiza'. These fungi help the plants with nutrients and during droughts, by spreading much further than the roots to absorb nutrients and water.

We added 'Mycorrhizal fertiliser' bought from local Garden Centre

At Kings Coronation, we relied on the nearby mature oak tree (see branches) to supply fungi to help the sapling

Saplings

We found several groups of oak saplings, near the Green, which would have little chance of survival. So decided to move a dozen to the 'wasteland', left by the builders of the CV Estate

A group of volunteers - our young WMWoodland Rangers - dug the holes and jumped up and down to bed in the saplings.

We found a pile of lovely oak leaf litter several years old and moved this is to fill the holes with this - rather than the builders' rubble left behind. This has the added advantage that it may have the right sort of fungal filaments that grow in association with the oak.

Mycorrhiza

Hopefully , these may become ectomycorrhizal fungi on the oak roots. This will help the saplings enormously as these filaments reach further into the soil and can extract nutrients and pass to the plant and maintain their water balance in times of stress.

Special Mycorrhiza - Truffles

We thought it may be worth a punt and inoculate the oak saplings with another sort of these fungi - called an endomycorrhiza. But there is a particular endomycorrhiza prized by foodies - Morel truffles.
So we got 50gm from Latvia - inoculated on grain seeds - and dropped them into the roots. Dont tell anybody where they are, and it will be a surprise if this works and in four years time we get these....

If you want to find out more about mycorrhizal fungi and the creatures that spread them, a local lad appeared in BBC Gardeners World to explain more...

This oak sapling is doing well. Can you remember who planted it?

New Ancient Tree

On the plot where we planted these trees, one we planted is unusual and very ancient. Here it is, growing well.

Do you know what it is, and when it first arrived on Earth? Let's have a discussion - using the comment box on the right.

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