Grass Clippings
Around our stormy grounds
In comparison to some of the local area, in the wake of Storm Eunice, we have survived relatively intact. Certainly, the work we undertook last year in risk assessing the tree stock and acting on the report has ensured that we won’t have to undergo weeks of clearing up tree damage and the trees are in a better condition for this intervention.
The main damage was wrecked canopies of two of the tall pines on the right of the 12th hole. The force of the wind twisting the tree broke most of the crown away from the tree. Fortunately, we have in recent years, underplanted this area with pines as an insurance against the loss of trees in the area. We also have a cedar tree ready to plant which we can now use to fill the gap created by this recent loss.
The croquet lawn renovations have been deferred as aeration and soil dressing would not have gone well in the recent wet conditions. Simon Bailey and Russell are currently preparing the borders of the lawns ready to turf. This week, the golf team have fared better, with several bright but cold days allowing the works to continue almost without hinderance. We have been able to top dress and aerate at a good speed and the programme of nine-hole closure days has helped the works proceed successfully. The team have done a great job on the 10th tee construction in following Ken Moodie’s design, and the heavy lifting work is almost completed.
There is a wet spell due at the end of this week and so we will have to stop the operation to ‘work with nature’ and not try to advance to eagerly and cause more damage than its worth.
The gardens team have been clearing beds and sprucing up areas ready for spring. They shall be pruning and devoting time to some of the golf beds very shortly, so they are looking good for the opening of the season.
Tree loss …
The National Trust has lost a host of important trees during Storm Eunice last week and still has many properties closed to the public. At Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire, losses have included a 250-year-old horse chestnut in the Pleasure Grounds and a walnut tree in the historically significant walnut avenue (part of a National Collection). At Blickling, in Norfolk a veteran oak, beech trees between 150-200 years old and some younger 50-year-old ash have been lost. Lanhydrock in Cornwall lost some 200 trees over the weekend. In Yorkshire, the water garden at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden was inundated by the River Skell and flooding has also been reported at Beningbrough (parkland under water) and at East Riddlesden Hall, where the lower fields and riverside walk are flooded and inaccessible. Closer to home, at Rainham Hall in London, a 700-year-old walnut tree was blown over. The Royal Parks have also reported significant losses during the storm and Richmond Park had a three-day closure order executed from Friday, during the storm and during the clear up due to safety concerns. The Royal Parks have been pragmatic in the aftermath of the storm, indicating that where possible tree hulks will be left in situ, to create habitats for other wildlife.
… tree gain
While on the tree theme, I caught on Farming Today at the start of the week that the Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) Department shall be increasing nursery production of trees at their Elgin site to meet the demand to replace trees losses and fulfil the Scottish climate change targets. Currently 25 million new trees are to be planted by FLS in 2021/22, which will help to create the forests of the future. The massive tree planting effort will include native species such as birch, oak, aspen, rowan and commercial conifers such as Scot’s pine and Sitka spruce. The Elgin nursery will be ramping up production from seven million trees per year up to sixteen million per year to help with this goal and ensure that the trees are produced closer to the planting target areas so reducing the amount of miles seedlings travel to get to the planting site.
Time for a trim
As March approaches with speed, we are now entering the pruning season in the gardens. Pruning tools like secateurs and loppers will function better, last longer and be safer to use if clean, sharp, and well-oiled. Sharp blades cut cleanly, leaving a tidy wound on the plant which should heal fully and reduce the risk of disease affecting the plant. Keeping tools clean also guards against disease being spread between plants. A good quality pair of secateurs will last a lifetime if respected and serviced well. Here are a few helpful hints to ensure your spring pruning is successful:-
Step One
Test the cutting action of your secateurs by pruning a woody stem of a plant, which you would be likely cutting away naturally. Does the action make a clean cut with no ripping? If the cut isn’t clean or stems get caught up in the blades they’ll need to be sharpened and maybe tightened.
Step Two
Clean all metal parts thoroughly using a scourer or fine wire wool. This should remove any signs of rust developing and take off any build-up of plant and sap residue left on the blades. There is no need to use any solutions or product but a light oil would help if there is a lot of surface rust.
Step Three
A good quality pair of secateurs use a bypass arrangement of blades, the cutting blade is sharpened on an angle from the outside edge and then the inside edge cleaned flat to leave the blade sharp. A well-thought-out design will allow you to remove the blades for sharping our disassemble down enough to allow them to be used on a grinding stone or with a file. There are simple explanatory videos on YouTube, for example, to demonstrate the correct method for sharping.
Step Four
Regular oiling keeps the moving parts lubricated and smooth and repels water from the metal parts, thus avoiding rust. Oil the spring and revolving shaft. You can also wipe oil on the blades with a cloth. After use, remove the sap build up from the blades using wire wool or a wire strand brush. Sap can gum up the blades and lead to rust formation. The little and regular approach to maintenance is far better than letting cutting tools get to the point of disrepair.