Useful Information

Help and guidance for your project

The team have created a range of useful resources to help get projects off the ground:

• Information on the Forest for Cornwall Community Fund

• An example of a small scale woodland management plan

• Template for a woodland management plan

• Tree species suggestion list

• Tree nurseries that supply UK sourced and grown trees

• Information on Contaminated land

• Community Orchards guidance

• List of apple and fruit users for excess crops from orchard trees

• Parish canopy maps (by request)

• Trees in the Cornish landscape

• The importance of Cornish hedges (Cornwall National Landscape)

Looking for Trees for Your Planting Project?

• Bolghen Community Tree Nursery - near St. Austell - broadleaf trees

• Emmaus Community Tree Nursery - near St. Austell - broadleaf trees

• Kehelland Trust - near Camborne - orchard trees

• The Grower - near St. Agnes

• Arbor Farm - near St. Columb

• Tamar Trees  - near Launceston

• Treseders - near St. Austell

How to plant a tree

There are a number of important things to consider when you are planting a tree: 

1. Utilities Checks

If you are planting trees it is essential to carry out the necessary utilities checks. We have outlined some guidance to assist you with this. 

Utilities Checks Guidelines

2. Choosing the Right Tree for the Right Place

• Recommended species for Cornwall

• UK native trees and shrubs in Cornwall

• Trees and shrubs | Cornwall Wildlife Trust

• Right Tree Right Place - (cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk)

3. Planting guidance

• How to Plant Trees - Plant Trees - Woodland Trust

• Tree planting guidance 

4. Tree Maintenance and Management

Newly planted trees need to be looked after for at least two to three years after planting so that they establish well. This includes watering and weeding around the tree in the spring and summer, and also checking tree guards and ties. 

• Young tree establishment guide (Arboricultural Association)

Guidance for Farmers and Landholders

• Should trees be planted within a productive farming landscape? Forestry Commission blog. 

• Assessing the health of your hedgerows advice

• Soilscapes soil types viewer - National Soil Resources Institute

• The new combined ELM (Environmental Land Management) Offer

• Trials of different tree protection for agroforestry (with goats!) - Dartington Trust 

Plant Health and Biosecurity

F4C wants to reduce the risks of imported and diseased trees being planted. To do this, we are exploring ways we can support businesses and communities to plant healthier tree stock. We have been supporting local community and commercial nurseries to supply healthy trees and to achieve Plant Healthy certification. This has been achieved through capital grants and application support. 

Cornwall and the rest of the UK have been badly affected by a number of diseases that affect our favourite trees. This includes:

• phytophora pluvialis affecting Douglas fir and larch in the Glynn Valley

• ash dieback which now affects the whole county

You can help! If you go walking in woodlands and green spaces, make sure you clean off wellies and bike tyres to prevent the spread of diseases to new areas. You can also report any health issues to the Forestry Commission’s Tree Alert service. The Observatree site has excellent images and descriptions of pests and diseases to help.

Tree and Woodland Organisations and Projects

• Woodland Trust website 

• Ancient Tree Forum website

• Woodland Trust - Ancient Tree Inventory

• The Tree Council website

• Forest Research website - forestry and tree related research

• Woodmeet Cornwall - Facebook page

• Working Woodlands Cornwall – Creating a thriving woodland sector for Cornwall

• Tiny Forest (earthwatch.org.uk)

• Advice and Guidance on Trees - Cornwall Council