Swampy Field Corners

Swampy and Grazed
 Downstream by side the leat, there is a field, full of Cows & Sheep.  One corner of which; is very steep, overgrown and boggy.

Many years ago, I put in a few trees here, as an experiment and they have done very well (see blog post below).

Today I am adding another phase or generation of trees to this site.

As with other sites on Dartmoor, the ground moves as its walked over and when I dig a hole, it takes only a few seconds to fill with water.

Swamp trees, namely Willow and Alder definitely love the conditions here, but I decided not to try any other types of tree here, such as Hazel or Blackthorn.  Its just too boggy.

I want this unusable field corner to become a tangled mini wilderness.  Obscuring the wind from the leat-side footpath and adding some native trees to this part of Dartmoor.

Here's Some I Did Earlier

Success of Past Experimental Plantings


These trees were the experimental prototypes, for planting the swampy site in the above blog-post.


The Alder in the middle has had ten years growth, since it was planted.  The other trees on this site, have had about five.


It would seem that swampy ground, even when in a field stocked with grazing creatures, as this one is; offer good refuge for trees, so long as adequate spiky undergrowth is present, to protect them.


It really dose make me feel great, to see my little trees, starting to become big.

Planting Behind the Houses

Welcome to my World!

This part of the future woods, backs onto a housing estate.  It is waste ground and the local authority (the Dutchy) want to put an allotments on half of it, which they have been talking about for years.

When I suggested to them, that I could plant woods on the other half; they said "Oh, that would look nice!", which is the closest to a 'Yes!' that they've ever given me.

There are a number of ways into this site, but due to the fortunate bad planning of the 1950's; there is no road access.  One of the access points is this rickety make-shift bridge, which can be a bit slippery and difficult to master, especially at night.

Last time I was planting at night, on this site; A man came out with a torch.  He was pertending to walk a dog, but all the time was shinning his torch into various patches of undergrowth.

I was lying, flat on the wet grass, commando style, viewing my options.  Fortunately he eventually went away.

Tonight things all went smoothly and I didn't disturb any of the residents of the houses.  There was a bit of noise-muffling wind, and as you can see from these photos; the visibility was very poor.

Hiding from the Farmer

Planting part of a massive swamp was disrupted today, by the farmer circling, in his tractor; where I was crouched hiding, behind a clump of reeds.

I'm glad I saw him before he saw me & I got all the trees and the spade stashed safely.

I made my way into the conifer clump and sat their quietly.
Eventually he went away.

This is one of my newest woods.  The site is less than 10% planted and it is more than 90% swamp, which in many parts; are so saturated that the whole ground quivers, as it is gingerly crossed.

The whole site is covered in thick reeds, except for a rather sickly looking clump of Spruce, growing close to the side with the road.   Beyond the other side is 15 miles of uninhabited moorland, going all the way to Okehampton and not crossed by any roads.

It is strange planting trees on a site so swampy.  When I dig a hole, it instantly fills with water.  In some parts, all I have to do is cut a slit in the quivering ground and push the tree into the saturated peat, with my foot. 

I cover over any obvious signs of disturbance, with some sort or rotting vegetation and/or grass (collected on site);  I don't want anyone to see the trees yet, or even to notice that they have been planted.  I want them to emerge gradually, from the swamp, over the next decade and to look and be; as natural as possible.

Of course there are only a few species of tree suitable for a site, like this one, but things seem to do well here, protected by all those sharp Spiky reeds.

That wretched farmer is a big problem, though.  I'm going to have to suss his routine.

I want to plant this whole swamp.

You can see in this picture; the odd test tree, which I have put in here years ago.

The odd cow dose wonder in here, but doesn't seem to do too much damage, perhaps; thanks to the  protection of the Reeds.

Trees under a bridge

When they sliced through my first woods, with this foot and cycle path, in around 1992; I stuck a few Willow cuttings right  underneath it.


Twenty years on almost, it has produced quite a good effect.


When people cross here; they can walk right through and touch the canopy.

Looking down, from the bridge, as it crosses the swamp.

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My First Woods

Planting Trees in a Tidal Swamp


Back in the early 1990's, I planted this woods in a tidal swamp, down stream from Exeter, in the City's extensive Valley park.


Much of the site floods twice a day, when the tide comes in, but so long as there is plenty of water in the River Exe; the trees do not suffer any ill effects from saline (salt) poisoning, as this site is as far upstream as you can go in the tidal zone.  Right next to the point at which the Exe becomes tidal: Salmon pool Weir.

The woods mainly consist of Willows, mostly grown from cuttings, where I and a few mates have simply stuck winter branches into the soft mud of the swamp.  The dryer parts contain all manner of native trees, collected on foot, or by bicycle and often from far and wide.


Today, twenty years later, it looks fantastic.  Better than I ever expected, in just two decades, it has all grown so much.
Willow are very fast growing trees and it's a very low altitude here.


It is great to be able to climb up and sit on the branches over hanging the river.
This must be fairly close to what our rivers should naturally look like.

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Small Trees

The height of trees,which are to be collected and planted on a site, should be just a tiny bit taller than the mid-season height of the vegetation, in which they are to be put.


If too small, most will be smothered and the few that survive, might not appear for many years.


The other side of this is; the bigger they are, the fewer can be collected.


E.g. When planting trees in 6 foot high Rose Bay Willow Herb; I can collect about ten massive saplings, which I then have to spend quite allot of time trimming.


When Collecting small trees, for areas with very short grass, on the other hand; 400+ can be collected on a single mission.


Smaller trees have to be planted closer together, but they require much less digging and most notably; they cover more ground.


So trees need to be just a tiny bit higher than the height of the summer grass, nettles or what ever vegetation, they are to be planted amongst.

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