Veteran Willow Management

These fantastic veteran Willows are situated on farmland behind St Tiggywinkles Animal Hospital, near Aylesbury. This area is the lowest point in the Aylesbury Vale meaning the area is quite wet, creating ideal conditions for Willows to grow. There were 30 Willows that we were working on, we had to pollard them. Pollarding is a traditional tree management technique which is also very beneficial to wildlife. The Willows have a wealth of habitat within their many hollows and cavities including a hornets nest and a Tawny Owl roost!

As you can see in the photos below pollarding can look like quite a drastic option, but by next spring new shoost will start emerging from the remaining trunk and the technique can even lenghten the trees life. These trees are thought to be approximately 200 years old!

Posted by Lauran Wise on 26th November 2011 - Write a comment