Managing woodland in a galaxy far, far away....

Whippendell Wood isn't actually far, far away at all - its just down the A41 - but its not everyday you get to manage trees on the so-called planet of Naboo - and its certainly a wood worthwhile mentioning. Used as a location in The Phantom Menace, Whippendell is a terrific ancient woodland, owned by Watford Borough Council, and used very well by the local residents. The woodland is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for the semi-natural vegetation found on the site, and the increasing amounts of deadwood - a habitat we need to see more of in our woods.

We've now come to the end of our first stage of work, concentrating on thinning out the non-native conifers and Sweet Chestnut plantations. We've also constructed a useful turning area for timber wagons - in a safe location away from the main car parking area. We'll be back next year to increase the size of some of the glades, and start to thin out more of the broadleaved areas.

Staff Training Day

Last Monday saw the annual Health and safety day here. The entire staff was collected together for updates on current practices before splitting out into groups, for refresher training on relevant equipment.

The Arboriculture team and landscape teams had refresher courses on all the different equipment that they use, to make sure that they are safe while in your garden. Boys (and girls) with toys.

The Plant centre team caught up on pest and diseases especial some of the more problem ones like Oak Processionary Moth. After that a tour of the nursery to look at all the lovely plants that we have to sell this year. We also looked at the growing trial of peat free compost growing against peat based compost (one of Merlin’s pet projects). The results are amazing and not really what we thought with the peat free trial plants being bigger and bushier than the ones grown in our normal compost mix.

This was an unusual day when we were all on the nursery together.

Arb Approved Contractors

The Nicholsons tree surgery team, part of Nicholsons Forestry, have achieved accreditation as an ‘approved contractor’ from the UK Arboricultural Association (AA). By using an AA ‘approved contractor’, existing and prospective customers can be assured they are using a team whose methods, equipment, training and support have been thoroughly assessed, tested and approved by the AA.

Achieving accreditation has been challenging, even for a team with a reputation for doing things right, but Nicholsons felt it was worth the effort.

The Arboricultural Association (http://www.trees.org.uk) aims are: to advance the study of arboriculture; to raise the standards of its practice; to foster interest in trees through publications, exhibitions and the stimulation of research or experiment; to assist in the training of students in disciplines where arboriculture is a major subject; to co-operate with other bodies having similar aims.

Below are the Nicholson's Arb trucks sporting the Arb Association Logo

Flood Risk Reduction Tree Clearance

Nicholsons Forestry team are currently managing the removal of poplars and willows from a riverside location on one of our clients' estates. The work is being done in consultation with the Environment Agency in order to reduce the risk of flooding in the area. The removal of the poplar plantations is also helping to restore the semi-natural landscape of an Enviornmentally Sensitive Area.
It is hoped that some of the cricket bat willows (Salix alba 'Coerulea') may indeed be sold to make cricket bats, but most of the timber is unfortunately of relatively poor quality and will therefore be chipped and used to generate heat and power.

As part of our efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of our operations, Nicholsons are currently trialling an battery-powered hedgecutter from Pellenc. Supplied by Etesia UK Ltd., the hedgecutter runs from a backpack-mounted rechargeable lithium battery pack that the manufacturers claim will provide a full day of use without needing re-charging. As well as a hedgecutting attachment, the batterypack can also be used to power electric chainsaws, pruners and polesaws.
If the trial is successful and we go ahead and buy one of the machines the benefits for our clients would be a significant reduction in noise and fumes when our teams are trimming hedges in their gardens. For our teams there is also the added benefit of a reduction in hand-arm vibration and weight, as well as the reduction in noise and fumes.

'No Burn ' Ground Preparation for Forestry

After felling mature conifers on an Estate, we are now preparing the sites ready to be planted in the autumn with broadleaves. Rather than burning the brash, we are using this 480 horse power mulcher to do the job.

Woodfuel Seminar at the RAC

Nicholsons Forestry Team was represented by Rob Pile at a seminar on the use of woodfuel for heating at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester last week. The event also saw the official opening of the college's new woodfuel heating system.
As well as hearing presentations from a range of speakers on managing woodlands to provide woodfuel, timber specification for producing good quality woodchip for fuel, and the new Forestry Commission grants aimed at woodfuel production, it was also a chance to catch up with some old clients and meet some (hopefully) new ones. Rob also spent some time talking to Andy Grundy from Midlands Wood Fuel Ltd. with a view to selling lower grade conifer timber from our clients' woodlands to MWF.

Nicholsons Country Gardeners at Broughton Grange

This Thursday the Nicholsons Country Gardeners Club visited Broughton Grange. The Gardens are only open 3 times a year under the NGS scheme, but we were able to have a private viewing in the evening by kind courtesy of the owner. The head gardener Andrew Woods showed us around assisted by the assistant head gardener Alastair. Both were hugely enthusiastioc and obviously passionate about the garden, which is divided up into many zones. There is the more formal parterre with Box and Roses, a stunning Herbacesous border,a woodland garden with peat blocks, a stumpery, 80 acres of Arboretum and a garden designed by Tom Stuart Smith, with it's different levels and a different theme on each level. The views from this part of the garden in the evening are stunning and we were very lucky with the weather.

The tours have been a great success so for those who have not joined the club please do and join us on some great visits and fascinating lectures.

Nicholsons visits Rousham

With our Country Gardeners Club we had a visit to Rousham and were hosted my Charles and Angela Cottrell Dormer who introduced the tour and were kind enough, with their fantastic and energetic head gardener Anne Starling, to show us round these beautiful gardens. The gardens were designed and laid out by William Kent and have remained in the same style and layout ever since.

Dreadnaught.

This pictures the launch of our intrepid Tim.P and him subsequently wrestling a 4" pipe into our reservoir. He had to brave the snug fitting life jacket, coax a contrary rubber duck into position, manhandle a giant dipstick on a lump of concrete into the middle of the reservoir, fend off swarming toad tadpoles and the mirth of his colleagues in order to achieve the task. Which he did superbly!

Our reservoir is rainwater harvested from our poly tunnels and roof spaces with a little coming from nursery run off. Like most people involved in agriculture and horticulture over the past few months our reserves are low - the reservoir did not fill up to capacity over the winter months which did not help matters.

Having not had our reservoir this low before we soon realised the pump extracting water was not able to do the job with the water so low.

Tim is placing in a 'sewage' pump which pushes big volumes of water out and into a new (actually recycled) holding tank, before being chlorinated and stored for use. It has a cunning floating filter so only abstracts from the clearest water near the surface..... Or so we thought until we spotted several dozen (live) toad tadpoles in our holding tank!

They are now found in the mesh of several filters - fortunately their numbers are such that losses are negligible - much less than them getting cooked on the liner in the heat as they crawl out - yet another hazard. Thankfully large numbers do make it to safety and are found all around the area!

We are now able to use the remaining water in our reservoir which takes the pressure off our mains bill - and your available water!