How much would it cost to buy and plant 3k or so trees?

[Ffermer Bach]

For the very reasons you describe; The calour gas bottle and looking like a bungalow do take the proverbial somewhat.
You could register yourself as a Bodger and erect a nice shed with a pole lathe in one corner. I remember these from when I was a child and visiting the camp with my father.
For more info look up Owen Dean ‘bodger’.
SS

The centre for alternative technology in Machynlleth probably does courses in bodging. I had a carpentry apprentice, who went on to teach courses in green woodworking there after he finished his NVQ.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Without grants you could easily plant 1000 PA, starting in November. 100 a week. Thats ten weeks or two and a half months. Pop job! Nov, Dec & half of Jan. For three years.
So by year three you will have a mixed age plantation without the stress of doing it all in one hit, not forgetting the possibility of mahoosive beating up work if there’s a prolonged dry spell.
I’ve looked on t’internet to see if Chieftain Forge is still going but it looks to be a no. Mr Chapman made good planting tools.
I have still have a lovely Chieftain planting spade
SS

I have one like this for hedge planting, good bit of kit (if expensive)!

Richard Carter Tree Planting Spear 28" Ash (T - Handle)

Tree Planting Spear with 28" Ash T- Handle, specially developed for planting saplings & bulbs.

www.treemarker.co.uk

 

[suffolksmallholder]

The centre for alternative technology in Machynlleth probably does courses in bodging. I had a carpentry apprentice, who went on to teach courses in green woodworking there after he finished his NVQ.

There’s a competition at The APF show with the pole lathe folk to produce the best pair of chair legs. Timed from billet to finished product. This is fun to watch.

I’d agree that CAT would likely run courses.
Gerrard Morgan-Grenville set the place up in The Old Quarry in the 60’s with my Dad and friends in support. This is one of the reasons why I am on my path with a GSHP
Not forgetting the room there with 1.0m thick insulated walls which in turn is heated by a solitary candle.
Along this thought process I have just spent in excess of £5.5k on insulation but this is going off topic somewhat and I must apologise for that
SS

 

[suffolksmallholder]

I have one like this for hedge planting, good bit of kit (if expensive)!

Richard Carter Tree Planting Spear 28" Ash (T - Handle)

Tree Planting Spear with 28" Ash T- Handle, specially developed for planting saplings & bulbs.

www.treemarker.co.uk

Yes mine’s similar
SS

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Oh PA you meant per acre I was thinking per annum at first! Which seemed very different than the 650 per day someone else reckoned .

Yes time doesn't seem the problem. Cost will be the main determining factor.

Just found this https://www.gov.wales/small-grants-woodland-creation-scheme. Which seems decent. No idea on eligibility or how hard they are to grant though. Not read any disqualifiers yet but could change instantly on further reading. Best to plan for the worst to know I could cover if no help was given for some 'clause' I would not qualify for.

As mentioned earlier the one planet development looked great initially but further reading rendered it mostly useless for all intents and purposes. As such I cast a skeptical eye on grants/schemes now but from what has been discussed so far sounds like they are more willing to give successful grants for trees?

My PA is per annum. Starting in November and going ‘till mid Feb.
Careful planting and spread over some years makes for an uneven aged crop/stand.
Yes one could bish-bash-bosh in a shed-load but you wait & see the result! You’ll certainly have some beating up on your hands. Just IMO
SS

 

[SoilHugger]

@SoilHugger
My friend has returned my request for more information with her thoughts on the matter.
I don't want to burden her with asking Q's on your behalf as I think that you should do the leg-work for yourself as you have all the correct details on your parcel and that you are in Wales which is often different to English Forestry, grant-wise.
This is what she sent to me and likely where you could make a start

Blimey, it’s a minefield of multiple grant schemes overlapping. I’ll have to chat to local Forestry Commission guy. A lot seem to be linked to creating NEW areas of woodland or to assist where diseased trees have been felled. Or locked into other land grant scheme. Q’s :- Were the Spruce felled due to any disease/ ill health reasons, or timber maturity and need to restock? What’s the area to replant? Is the land within RPA , or an environmental stewardship scheme ?

I hope this little snippet helps.
SS

Thanks only just seen this.

I did get a couple of emails back from NRW and they said pretty much the same as what she said, that they are more interested in making new woodlands, not to subsidise existing ones, which does make sense. They also said the current agreement with them for current plot was probably a restocking (iirc) licence or something like that.

Anyway I have ruled this one out now as when I went to see was not keen on how close to a main road it was. Not as out of the way I would like for the price it would cost. I am setting my sites further north now.

 

[SoilHugger]

The centre for alternative technology in Machynlleth probably does courses in bodging. I had a carpentry apprentice, who went on to teach courses in green woodworking there after he finished his NVQ.

I have sent several emails asking a couple of innocent questions for where to get more information, related to general permaculture at the time not forestry then, and they just ignore my emails.

I am not sure if they think they are too good to respond to peasants unless you are paying them. Seems a farcry from their hippy roots.

 

[SoilHugger]

There’s a competition at The APF show with the pole lathe folk to produce the best pair of chair legs. Timed from billet to finished product. This is fun to watch.

I’d agree that CAT would likely run courses.
Gerrard Morgan-Grenville set the place up in The Old Quarry in the 60’s with my Dad and friends in support. This is one of the reasons why I am on my path with a GSHP
Not forgetting the room there with 1.0m thick insulated walls which in turn is heated by a solitary candle.
Along this thought process I have just spent in excess of £5.5k on insulation but this is going off topic somewhat and I must apologise for that
SS

np and also an interesting read having gained new appreciation of insulation having done my own van build. I went with 20mm expanded cork for mine. Might not be the maximum compared to synthetic stuff but certainly happy with the brown finish which I have left exposed plus the sustainability points.

 

[SoilHugger]

I also realized that even though they were planted the land is pretty much useless in terms of using it for anything so a waste of money.

Not able to enjoy the wood as you would with an established woodland and a bunch of stumps everywhere preventing you from doing anything useful without some heavy machinery to clear them. Everything else is a long waiting game so would be years before you could enjoy the space.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

I also realized that even though they were planted the land is pretty much useless in terms of using it for anything so a waste of money.

Not able to enjoy the wood as you would with an established woodland and a bunch of stumps everywhere preventing you from doing anything useful without some heavy machinery to clear them. Everything else is a long waiting game so would be years before you could enjoy the space.

Life is a list of opportunities and waiting games.
One minute your children are tiny and being being sick over your shoulder and the next they are off doing their own thing.
Sixteen years on my trees look a lot like trees should and have their own little habitats around them!
SS