Having had another look in more detail at Pinetum's scheme to encourage customers to plant trees, I am undecided as to whether it's a great idea or just a cynical manipulation of environmental concerns.
They are sending customers seedlings of Norway Spruce (Picea abies) which, if you didn't know, is the traditional species of Christmas Tree. Now, in the right environment, these wonderful trees will grow at the rate of 1ft (300mm) a year so if you plant your new tree in your back garden and it manages to survive, it will soon take up a fair amount of space and light. Not only that, but it will keep growing at a foot a year all the way up to 180ft if you let it, although its roots will have been destroying underground pipes, cables and foundations long before that making you very popular with the neighbours.
What I'm saying is that this isn't a suitable species for the garden. Further, it will only enrage some of the more fundamentalist conservationists because it is not a native species so would not be welcome if planted on a large scale (Christmas tree production excepted).
As a fan of forestry, I applaud Pinetum's motives in getting people interested in tree production but I just wonder if they could have found a more appropriate species - something that was either more suitable for gardens or more acceptable as a forestry species?
In forestry it is an accepted fact that you harvest what was planted by your predecessors and plant what will be harvested by your sucessors. I hate to think of trees being cut down or ripped up after only a few years because they were the wrong species or in the wrong place.
Monday, 8 March 2010
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see you are taking such a keen interest in Pinetum's eco-iniative 'plant-a-tree'. We feel that it is so important to encourage people to really think about their carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the environment and by planting a tree, it is a small step in the right direction.
I understand your concerns in regards to the species of tree, the Norwegian Spruce was carefully selected after receiving a wonderful gift from the Little Christmas Tree Company (http://www.thelittlechristmastreecompany.co.uk/). Any issues about the care of these trees is addressed on this website. Unfortunately as a manufacturer of Oak furniture, we felt that sending Oak trees to our customers may overpower their gardens, whereas the Norwegian Spruce will grow as big as allowed, making it the ideal tree for any home.
We've had such a fantastic response from our customers eagerly awaiting their free sapling and we are thrilled with how readily people are willing to make a commitment to the environment.
If you have any questions or queries about our plant-a-tree scheme, I'd be happy to answer them directly. Please email me on laura@pinetum.co.uk, otherwise, thank you for being an avid follower of Pinetum. We hope that you continue to find all the information you require from www.pinetum.co.uk.
Laura (Pinetum Marketing Department)