We have joined the 2018 landowners scheme to plant 100 native Irish broadleaf trees. All of the trees are grown in Ireland and are of certified native seed provenance. The saplings are provided as bare-rooted forestry grade whips; these young trees are hardy and well adapted to the Irish climate and, being small, can be handled and planted easily. We have ordered agroforestry packs.

According to the Trees on our Land website, Agroforestry is a land use and management system where trees are grown on pasture (silvo-pastoral) or arable land (silvo-arable) amongst or around livestock and crops. This is in contrast to modern farming which has seen trees removed from agricultural land to maximise the productive area. Agroforestry can be very simple, a handful of trees established on pasture to provide shade and shelter and local soil improvement.

The benefits include:

• Trees help to protect arable and pasture land by interrupting and absorbing excess water and nutrients and helping to prevent the loss of top soil by water and wind erosion. They bring up valuable nutrients via the roots from deep in the soil and return them to the surface via fallen leaf litter and light brash.
• Trees provide valuable shelter and shade for livestock which must otherwise be provided by buildings.
• Trees can improve soil quality by adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil from fallen leaves and twigs.
• Trees lock up and store carbon which helps to mitigate against carbon produced by agricultural industry.
• Trees can be managed and harvested to produce sustainable sources of firewood, timber, fodder, fruit and nuts, in addition to the existing produce from animals or crops on the same land. These extra products can help to diversify and increase farm income by using the same piece of land for more than one purpose and therefore more than one income.
• Trees on farm land provide food and habitat for many species of plants, insects and animals which would not live on open pasture or arable land.
• Encouraging a greater diversity of both plants and animals increases general local resiliance to climatic changes, storms, pests and diseases.
• It is possible to add quite large numbers of trees onto open farm land without impacting significantly on agricultural acreage.

Everyone is welcome to join us on Saturday 10th February 2018 to help plant the trees. Click for further details of the planting day.

• Common Name – Latin Name – Irish Name
• Alder – Alnus glutinosa – Fearnóg
• Alder buckthorn – Frangula alnus
• Ash – Fraxinus excelsior – Fuinnseóg
• Aspen – Populus tremula – Crann Creathach
• Birch – Silver – Betula pendula – Beith
• Birch – Downy – Betula pubescens – Beith
• Black poplar – Populus nigra
• Blackthorn – Prunus spinosa – Draighean
• Buckthorn – Rhamnus catharticus
• Cherry – Bird – Prunus padus
• Cherry – Wild – Prunus avium – Crann silín
• Crab apple – Malus sylvestris – Mubhall fhiadhain
• Elder – Sambucus nigra – Trom
• Guelder rose – Viburnum opulus
• Hawthorn – Crataegus monogyna – Sceach geal
• Hazel – Corylus avellana – Coll
• Holly – Ilex aquifolium – Cuileann
• Juniper – Juniperus communis – Iúr craige
• Oak – Pedunculate – Quercus robur – Dair
• Oak – Sessile – Quercus petraea – Dair
• Oak – Hybrid – Quercus rosacea – Dair
• Purple osier – Salix purpurea
• Rowan – Sorbus aucuparia – Caorthann
• Scots pine – Pinus sylvestris – Giuis
• Spindle – Euonymus europaeus – Feoras
• Strawberry tree – Arbutus unedo – Caithne
• Whitebeam – Sorbus aria
• Whitebeam – Irish – Sorbus hibernica
• Willow – Bay – Salix pentandra – Saileach
• Willow – Eared – Salix aurita – Saileach
• Willow – Goat – Salix caprea – Saileach
• Willow – Grey – Salix cinerea – Saileach
• Wych elm – Ulmus glabra – Leamhán
• Yew – Taxus baccata – Iúr