The Tree field Skye

To give an idea of timescales, here are some photos showing the growth of the trees. It took 6 years to complete the basic broadscale tree planting, and another 6 for the trees to really start to do well. There are still areas where the trees are pretty small and the grass is the dominant vegetation, although this series of pictures disguise that somewhat!

Tree planting area June 2012 - 2 years to go

Tree planting area September 2017 - completed 3 years

Tree planting area July 2022 - completed 8 years

Nearly ten years to the day I planted them, I coppiced the first Alder trees down by the river at the start of 2019. Because of the damp and grass I have been leaving quite a tall stump at about 8 inches. Probably I could cut closer to the ground. I understand that cutting flush to the ground is a coppice workers ambition. The first year I just cut a few trees, and year on year I have been cutting more trees as they become a useful size.

the first cut

See also my 'blog post A Long Harvest
I'm still a fair way away from being self sufficient in wood, but already have reduced the amount of bought in fuel we require by about half. Our 'carbon footprint' will hopefully have been reduced too. These trees require very little transportation (just me and a wheelbarrow at the moment). I am using an electric reciprocating saw to cut them now, which is maybe lazy, but gets the job done more quickly than I would be able to manage otherwise.

I have built a number of little wood shelters around the tree field so the wood can mostly dry adjacent to where it is cut (described here). This means the wood is less weight to transport when I do bring it up the hill to the main woodshed for easy access when required. I've got one more to build this year, and will probably build a couple more over the next few years.



Eventually I expect to be recutting the same trees again. They are already growing back multistemmed, with more wood value in them than the first time of growing. This photo shows Alder cut this year together with uncut alder in the back ground along with the regrowth of Alder cut 2 years ago. Also highlighted is an Alder sapling that was planted at the same time as the previous alder was coppiced. You can hopefully see that the regrowth is twice as tall, as well as being multistemmed. This is part of the beauty of coppicing. Because the trees have all their established root system, they can really put of lots of growth to replace the top growth.

Alder Coppice regrowth compared to new trees

They have not all grown back.  I lost a couple of alders to some sort of rot Last year. I think that it may have been partly due to lack of light and ventilation, they were to the north of some dense spruce trees. Last year I cut birch trees for the first time, and again some of these did not grow back. They should provide far better quality wood for burning, so it's a pity they are not coming back more reliably. I'm told that silver birch coppices better, but downy birch grows better on wet ground. I think the one's I have cut so far have been silver birch, so this does not bode well for the future. Maybe I'll replace them with something different. I've found that the Rowan has grown quite nicely here. Initially I only planted that in the windbreaks, but I have just planted a block in one of my bare areas so that is one of the possibilities.
My husband doesn't like me cutting the trees down, but this was always intended to be the destiny for most of them. I still think that this is a very efficient way of obtaining heating and cooking fuel in my location. To be fair, whilst cutting is in progress it does look like carnage!

Coppicing tree carnage

The side branches all need to be cut off the main trunks, and the twiggy bits snipped off the larger side branches too. The trunks and larger branches can then be cut and stacked into the wood shelters to dry. The smaller branches and twigs I am mainly just piling up. Over a year they too dry up and they can then be easily snapped to length for kindling, with a bit returning to the ground as rotten biomass. Longer thin lengths come in for pea and bean sticks. Over time I hope to find more uses for these twiggy bits. The alder twigs are probably of little use other than kindling/biomass, but I have made besom brooms from the birch, and many other woods have uses for the bark for example, that I hope to explore.

Pea support sticks

(source)

I've managed to finish the mini hugel area for my blueberries and have planted the ones I wanted to there. It's all a bit random - I really have little idea as to which varieties are likely to do well here. I picked good commercial varieties that are especially early, and just got a variety of others to try. The one I really wanted this year was Reka: a New Zealand bred berry that sounded hopeful. After a mix up at the supplier, I've ended up with rather larger plants than I'd ordered which are absolutely loaded with flowers.

I'd been piling wood and prunings in banks where I was thinking of making the mini hugels. When I planted the first lot I had left the hugels to settle for about a year. This time I'm planting straight away, so I will have to keep an eye on the plants and mnake sure the soil level doesn't fall too much.

blueberry mini-hugel construction

Basically I have inverted turfs over the stick piles. It seems that might make the beds too dry, but because we get good rain in summer usually, this isn't a problem for me. It seems to be more important to keep the roots aerated, and I read that the blueberries often grow on fallen trunks in marshes, so this seemed a good compromise.The older plants seem pretty happy anyway. This will be their third proper summer, so I am hoping for some fruit!
I've planted a couple of strawberry plants I found growing in the turf into one of the older beds. It's possible I sowed some seeds around, but I don't remember doing so. They might be false strawberry, it's difficult to tell at just the leaf stage, but either way will be a bit of competition ofor the buttercups that have become a de-facto ground cover around the blueberries. I was also given some 'soldiers and sailors' or lungwort. I was given a little plant by a neighbour and their plants are covered in flowers and happy bees, so I thought that they might bring the bees into the blueberry patch a bit with early blooms. I also have some more alpine strawberry seedlings which I think might like a home here.
So all watered in and looking good!

Finished Blueberry patch from uphill side

There is still a bit of landscaping to do on the paths and surroundings. I also made a spare mini hugelbed constructed, for which I have a secret plan!

Well what a difference a month makes! The growth during May is incredible as the trees leaf out and the grass really gets growing. The main job recently has been cutting the grass on the trackways. This makes it much more pleasant to get around - less danger of getting ticks on ourselves, or wet feet. My husband is very keen on mowing the grass reasonably short, I'm a bit less bothered. Usually what happens is he mows a couple of passes with the mower down the middle of the track and then I go by with the scythe and finish either side. I like the way my scythe leaves the cut grass at the edges of the trackway out of the way and easy to collect up. Our scythemower is out of action at the moment, so we are using a (free) rotary mower instead, which tends to turn the cut grass into grass mince.

gathering up cut grass for mulch

I've been using the cut grass this year to mulch my simple farming beds - adding green material to try and feed the soil organisms (see here). We've been having some pretty dry weather, so it's really been turning to hay rather quickly. Some of the trackways I've lined with currant bushes, so these are mulched directly. It's much easier to not have to move the cut grass very far! The grass is much easier to pick up if it is left a couple of days to dry out. It is easier to see and lighter to move too.

Edge effect: mulching currants with cut grass

As well as the trackways that are wide enough for our Landrover to go along, we have gradually made "pedestrian trackways" in strategic directions, to short cut or connect up with other paths. Going "down the hill" with the dogs is a frequent activity, and I like to inspect different areas each time if I can. Most of these paths just need a single pass with the mower, but one path that connects the main trackways side to side towards the top of the field was so lush that I have done it first with the scythe. It would have been hard work for the mower!

scything a path through long grass

As well as the growing area, and the currants, I have been trying to get round and mulch as many of my newly planted trees as possible. I have found in the past, that mulching to keep the grass down around them really makes a big difference in the early growth of the trees. Also when the trees are small they can be physically swamped by the grass and smothered. I have marked my baby monkey puzzle trees with tall bamboo canes, so as to find them more easily. They will take several years before they are taller than the grass, so those have been my first priority to mulch around.

Baby monkey puzzle tree location marked by cane

I've also done the walnut, heartnut and eucalyptus trees I planted last year. I've still got most of the korean pine to finish mulching, then maybe I'll do the rowan, alder and other broadscale trees that I planted this year - plenty to keep me busy yet!

This year has been a fantastic one again for soft fruit. The raspberries have done really well, particularly those that have escaped from my 'fruit jungle' near the house, but the ones planted a year or two in the tree field are also starting to spread and fruit well.

bumper raspberry crop from fruit garden escapees

Blackcurrants that have been in a while - like those in the orchard area are fruiting well. the bushes along the trackways haven't cropped so well. I think they were a different variety that is a bit earlier and sweeter and the birds tend to get first pick. They are still a bit young too. I planted some cuttings right amongst the trees. These have grown very tall, which is handy for picking, but really they are a bit shaded for cropping well. Some of the trees around them were coppiced last year so that should help.

ripe blackcurrants ready to pick

The blueberry patch is starting to show potential. The area where I planted the new bushes this year is also covered in hempnettle, an annual weed in the nettle family. It has grown all over the new blueberry bushes, but I'm hoping it may disguise them somewhat from the birds. I'll cut the hempnettle remains down at the end of the summer and maybe add a mulch of bracken leaves, to help improve the soil. The berries are ripening just one at a time and I think the birds are getting 4 for every one that I get! I'm wondering about maybe putting up a bird scarer. I don't really want to be bothered with netting. Another alternative is decoy crops: I'm thinking some Juneberries may be appropriate; I rarely get any of those either, but the trees would probably grow around the blueberry area and fruit well in a few years. I think I have a couple of seed grown trees already but will try and propagate some more next year.

blueberries in disguise (hopefully!)

I've been thinking about where else I might fit some blueberries, and there are a couple or areas either with birch (which tends to give light shade) or with good shelter, but given the problems with actually picking the harvest I may wait a few more years!

My experimental Aronia melanocarpa (chokeberries) continue to impress. The berries are starting to turn colour, and I really like the tart flavour when they are ripe. One of my seed grown bushes is laden down and I really think they have a lot of potential to be a useful crop here. I did make one pudding from the berries last year and am hoping to do more different dishes and maybe some jam this year. I think I'll try and propagate some more bushes by seed from the better fruiting bushes, as well as cuttings from them this winter.

Aronia berries starting to ripen

Brambles (blackberries) ripen really late here, but I have come across one or two that ripen in August, so will have to work out whether I want to risk creating too much of a bramble patch - they can rather take over. This they have done already at the top of the tree field where I planted out some blackcurrant (edit oops!) blackberry plants from the polytunnel: a good fruiter, but really needs a bit of heat to ripen in good time.

I tidied up our main woodshed recently, so thought I'd share a few more pictures before I bring the last of the wood up from the tree field. I made another little wood shelter just off the main trackway, so I have 5 now. The original one down by the pond is not really going to be used now so much however, since we've decided not to maintain that loop for vehicular access. We have been getting so many self set willow and aspen runners coming up in the trackway. It is also rather damp for much of the year, so breaking though the turf and making a muddy mess with the vehicle is a real risk. I've just got a few of the smaller twigs to cut to length and that is the other 4 shelters stacked. A bit behind time, but there is always so much else to do when the weather is good.

last few sticks to cut to lenght

The coppice regrowth has been pretty impressive this year again. All the newly cut trees have regrown well with no losses. Two of the birch that were cut (and regrew) last year seem to have died though. I suspect that lack of light has been the problem there. I probably will not replant with birch.

One of the features of coppice woodland is the dramatic difference in habitat between the closed canopy of the older trees and the open light filled areas that have been recently cut.

this year cut alder regrowth on left, closed canopy uncut trees on right

I have planted some currant cuttings in the expectation that the growth and fruiting will vary according to what stage of coppice the adjacent trees are. They will survive the shade of full height trees, but will fruit better with more light when the canopy has been cut down.
I have managed to get round most of the newly planted trees this year and mulch them with grass clippings. My experience has shown that this really improved the survival and growth of the baby trees. I haven't got on as well with the scythe mowing as well as I'd hoped this year - It seems to cut quite well when the grass is young in late spring, but as the summer wears on the grass falls over and it is much more of a struggle to do. However my husband seems to enjoy walking round with the petrol mower, and has succeeded in making a couple of useful new paths for us.

mulching little (crabapple) trees with grass clippings

 It seems to cut quite well when the grass is young in late spring, but as the summer wears on the grass falls over and it is much more of a struggle to do. However my husband seems to enjoy walking round with the petrol mower

  I consider it wisdom to switch from scythe to power scythe as conditions change.  The scythe depends on a consistent speed to cut uniformly With tangled conditions the speed can not be maintained but the power supplied to the little scythes on the blade keeps them at a consistent speed no matter what speed or direction of swing.    

Hi Nancy, I've been to Skye a couple of times and I'm awestruck by what you have achieved!  

Thank you Hester - it's actually amazing what will grow if you keep the sheep (and deer) out. Once you get a bit of shelter it starts to get quite lush (at least in the summer). The rain helps of course, although the shallow soil means that is essential for good growth too. I might not be able to grow sweetcorn outside, but I can grow Yacon, and acid soil means I can grow blueberries! There's stuff that doesn't grow of course, I either try again or with something different. We're starting to feel a bit autumnal this week - some wet and windy weather tonight will be knocking my few remaining apples off I expect, but it's been a good year overall.

I've been delinquent in posting updates here recently. The main activity has been planning for extended Aronia planting. I've been working out where I might fit in some beds and how to arrange them. Some of the beds are across the slope - almost in a N-S orientation, which ought to be better for consistent ripening, and some are the opposite up and down the slope, with one side facing South and the other North. This gives some opportunities for different microclimates, so I have sketched up a potential planting plan to create useful perennial plantings to replace the grass.

Aronia planting plan for E-W beds

The idea is to make mini hugels like I have for the blueberries, to improve drainage and water retention. That always sounds a contradiction in terms, but the buried sticks should really do this. I've made a start in a couple of places - basically removing the turf from under the centre of the bed, loosening the soil, filling the hole with twiggy brash and the covering it with the removed turf and also the turf from either side - again loosening the next layer down. Hopefully this will give a really nice raised bed.

Aronia bed making in progress

I'm also trying to make some of the beds not in straight lines. This I find more difficult - it is easier to visualise and dig a series of parallel straight beds either up and down or across the slope. However there is a fair amount of space below one of the walnut trees, which I have already started calling to myself "the shell garden". I have managed to lay out a series of concentric semicircles, which I think will look rather nice when planted out.

The shell garden

There is a lot of digging yet to do, and I don't think now that I'll get all the beds I want to make started. I am convinced however, after my experiences in my natural farming area, that the soil compaction I have really needs to be relieved before the plants are likely to do well. I'll probably just try and sow these beds with green manures, and seed start perennials next year. I don't have the number of plants I will need, so propagating as many as I can next year makes sense. I did take some Aronia cuttings last summer, but I don't think they have struck. I gather that softwood cuttings are supposed to be the best way of cloning, but I suspect I will find layering a more reliable way. I'll have a go at taking some hardwood cuttings as well over this winter, but since I'm not expecting that to be successful, I may not do very many.