Grow Trees. Grow A Trillion Trees!

 For those who know me, I have spent the last few years growing oak trees.

In October 2019, soon after it was declared that planting a trillion trees would go some way toward heading off the climate emergency, I got involved in planting trees in Bexhill, with the Bexhill Environmental Group (BEG). We planted trees around the edge of The Down (the common we pass every time we drive to Eastbourne) and another 300 odd in the field behind Bexhill Cemetery:

Planting 300 trees in the field behind Bexhill Cemetery

Volunteers of BEG plant 300 trees

It felt good to be a part of doing the right thing.

At the time, my work took me walking around the streets of Sussex in many towns. All the acorns were falling from the trees, many on the roads, paths and commons, where they were run over, trampled or mown. They were being crushed. Even squirrels weren't picking them up to store for winter.

They were the ones that would rot and return to the earth.

It saddened me to think of all the energy put into creating seeds that could last hundreds of years as an oak being crushed - what a waste! So, wherever I went, I filled my pockets with a few from this tree and a few from that tree... some from all over.

Acorns planted in pots

And then Covid-19 happened. Lockdown.

And I had all these acorns, and a stack of pot noodle pots. So, I started planting the acorns.

Acorns planted in anything that could take an acorn

Throughout the winter, I'd been planting acorns, and it continued on through March, April, May... anything that had the vestige of a root or shoot went into soil. I ran out of pots so I used anything else I could find, including milk cartons with their side cut off (they make good temporary pots, in case you ever want a pot for a seed tray... they lasted a year or two outside as well! ) Over 750 oaks in all. I called it my 'Pot Noodle Forest' :-)

My 'Pot Noodle Forest'

The oaks grew. Or most of them, at least. I think there was about 650 in the end, which we eventually moved up to the allotment

The oaks, collected from so many places
were all different when they grew

Eventually, I repotted the trees into black nursery bags and they grew. Two years ago, through the NextDoor app, most of them went to a good home - a garden memorial, some turning a bit of land into woodland, some to replace ash-dieback tree spaces. But I still had 150 odd.

So many varieties of oak!

This year, I was told they should go from the allotment, so it gave me the push I needed to find a home for them. Again through NextDoor, I found a few good folk who wanted them for hedges and bonsais and to replace 'lost' trees. The last of my little acorns have gone.

The Oaks grew so much bigger and
had to be re-potted

So, it comes to now.

Yep, I've already started sticking acorns into pots (I can't help myself), and all the ash seedlings growing on the allotment we have to pluck out as weeds? They, too, are going into pots. I just can't seem to chuck them out as weeds, especially knowing how many species of animal and plants rely on them.

JOIN ME IN PLANTING TREES FOR FREE ON TREEAPP

But, at the same time, I'm also planting all over the world. I joined an app called Treeapp, who plant a tree-a-day for you for just watching one ad. I don't like ads (who does!), but these ones are usually for some environmentally-saving product or service, so it's not a hardship, knowing that

ONE AD = ONE TREE

and, as a bonus, if you do seven days in a row, one extra tree is planted in your name.

So far, I have, as of today, 428 trees planted in my name. 

JOIN ME IN PLANTING TREES FOR FREE ON TREEAPP

So, since the 'Refer a Friend' option shows up every time I check my community page, it occurred to me that there might be other folk who would like to grow trees with me. So, in case you do, here's my sign-up referral link - lets plant trees, folks!

JOIN ME IN PLANTING TREES FOR FREE ON TREEAPP