A step-by-step guide to creating natural woodlands from direct seeding – rather than by planting young nursery-grown trees – has been published by the National Urban Forestry Unit.
The case study describes how a new oak wood and areas of mixed woodland have been created at Ashford, Kent by landscape architect Tom La Dell.
Nerys Jones, chief executive of the National Urban Forestry Unit, said direct seeding should be more widely used as a technique for establishing informal woodland.
“The costs of implementation and long term management are relatively low and there is great scope for practical community involvement in seed collection and sowing. Also the use of seeds from local sources is ecologically beneficial as it helps to reinforce the local gene pool,” she said.
