Dead wood – the growing problem with planting trees

On The Climate Show with Tom Heap, we ask why people are racing to plant trees rather than making sure they grow, with over half a million saplings dead under the management of the National Highways.

Also, as the US proposes strict new limits on "forever chemicals" found in drinking water, we assess what's being done about water quality in the UK.

#treeplantingchallenge #forestrycommission #carboncapture #nationalhighways #A14 #PFAS #EPA #foreverchemicals #Cambridgeshire #treesforstreets #population #climate #environment #trees #climatechange #biodiversity #nature

[brianferguson]

More than 90% of the new trees planted as part of the HS2 project died the first year. Non were replaced.

[Isaac-hogh]

A good example of why important things should be managed by experts in subjects for them.

[JohnDoe-qghm]

This is a huge waste of taxpayer money. Let me explain. When they build these bypasses the road level is often raised using large boulders and crushed rock the slopes are also made from boulder and crushed rock and then a light 'skim' of earth, enough for grass to grow ! Then they plant trees, knowing full well there is not the depth of soil nor the correct 'grade' of soil to support the trees. They use degraded soils, full of pollutants or lacking minerals, certain tree species require more acidic soils and others more alkaline soil, and then ? 5 years later ''mouth pieces'' do a report on raising the issue of why the trees have failed to mature and generate more reports, organize committees, and state 'questions need to be asked! all in an effort to create work for themselves at tax payers expense and NOTHING IS EVER DONE ! For the most part they are FAT and CORRUPT !

[edjjit]

would be interesting to see the coverage of the trees planted by amazon, bp, british airways ect, and see the progressions

[dan]

We just need to embrace natural regeneration and get over shrub being “messy”. Also need to reduce grazing pressure so they’re not just nibbled away by deer.

[petrolheaduk]

I am by no means an expert but apart from how ugly the rows of genericly spaced out trees look, shouldnt it be more about plating correctly and with a good eye for the good of the wildlife rather than slap dashing random stuff in horrid rows?

[sebastianwrites]

I've seen this so many times... "Green Window Dressing!"

I live n Edinburgh and the amount of trees they cut down, and I can't believe... well I know for a fact this is not genuine.

A tree was pressing against a gate on our street... the council cut "3" of these down as a result, and to be honest I doubt 'any' of them needed to be cut down!

And these plastic covers for trees... they just leave these. Hermitage of Braid, I found the staff, nice enough people, but chatting away about next to nothing, and meanwhile they had left these tree covers rotting in the woods just a 100 metres from their base for approx "7" years?

I spoke to one of the managers about this, and she was decent enough to concede that it was not good enough.

I pulled up a dozen of these empty tubes on my run, and put them at the side of the path... I don't get paid for this, so why can I do this in 40 mins on my run, when 'staff' are paid to do this, and where their HQ is just a few minutes away?

[blooky]

I make bonsai so I take good care of them, but the trees that are planted like in the video here get no care at all they dry up from no water in droughts and just are left to rot.

[amarenehemiah]

I planted 100 trees the other day, ok I placed some acorns in a hole, only one hole, but that's still 100 trees...that seems to be the logic these days.

[lettucesalad]

"Yeah - we did something" - politicians everywhere

[pangolin]

Nice reporting. Leaving mature trees alone is key, so protect therm. New trees take decades to become effective carbon traps. HS2 (for example) has destroyed ancient woodland that will take centuries to replace...

[briandavis]

Did anyone have a close look at the original landscaping tender contract ? They probably skimped on maintenance and having qualified people doing oversight. Also, as someone has mentioned, timing of the planting is critical, doesn't always work when there are engineers wanting to sign a job off. "get them in the ground..."

[LS-xssg]

Like most things in liberal technocratic britain it boils down to the difference between a spreadsheet vs the deep reality of real life. The spreadsheet says planting thousands of trees makes up for the destruction of rooted ecologically integrated countryside. They are the same with immigration. They treat people like units to be moved around and totally ignore the deep differences and complications which undermine the existing society

[JohnJDMunn]

That is exactly why the better offsetting companies, like ZeroSmart, include long term care and protection into the cost of tree planting

[stevemiller]

So important to point this out. I live in America and from my own observation in my city, aftercare and maintence is a joke. I see many trees that could be made viable in a cost effective way that have entered a death spiral. The politicos and beaurocrats aren't held responsible.

[banzy]

The first year is critical. I see similar problems across the channel where trees are planted, but die off, often to a lack of water. The more successful plantations along field edges, are where they've put a lot of straw mulch down, which helps to some degree, and is a pretty inexpensive solution for farmers.

[cartoons]

planting them in ROW at precise distance make it look like crop. on forest IF they ever grow into forest .

[peteturner]

Great sound bites but no follow up on the promise of more trees, sounds all to familar from government agencies!

[totallymady]

This is a surprisingly good report, well done Sky

[oojimmyflip]

Trees need bonemeal to build a good root system, just sticking a twig in the ground doesnt work with all species some are prolific growers and some are not, why is the acidity level of the ground not being tested before planting?