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What are "whips"

rubblequeen
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Phil Ambrose Veteran II

Phil Ambrose

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Out of interest what constitutes a suitable tree and why are willows "stupid"?

Apart from the fact they are not an indiginous species they grow like a weed and soon swamp the area that they grow in, if they are Crack Willow its even worse because as well as taking over they have the nasty habit of just falling over or dropping huge branches onto anything that happens to be below. We have a huge area on our marina that is impossible to walk through because the Crack Willow grows so densely

There are so many much nicer native trees to choose from.

Phil

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Jerra Veteran II

Jerra

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So if we accept willow is unpopular (and I still don't see why particularly as the trees aren't planted to provide firewood) what do people suggest/would like to see planted.


Apart from the fact they are not an indiginous species they grow like a weed and soon swamp the area that they grow in, if they are Crack Willow its even worse because as well as taking over they have the nasty habit of just falling over or dropping huge branches onto anything that happens to be below. We have a huge area on our marina that is impossible to walk through because the Crack Willow grows so densely
There are so many much nicer native trees to choose from.
Phil

What makes you think Willow is not indigenous? Bay Willow, Crack Willow, White willow,Goat Willow and Grey willow are all Native. Violet Willow is introduced but rarely found in the wild. Weeping Willow is as I understand it a cultivar of White Willow. Which leaves Contorted Willow rare even in gardens.

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John Williamson 1955 Rising Star

John Williamson 1955

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What to plant? It depends on what the planter is trying to achieve. I have been involved in landscaping in the past, and the brief has varied from restoring the pre-human mix of trees to recreating a particular type of romantic landscape.

If you insist on native trees only, then how long does a tree have to be here to count as native? Bearing in mind that not trees grew here not that many thousand years ago. And how fussy are you going to be? There are two species of oak which commonly grow here, one of which was imported fairly recently from North America. Most people can't tell the difference.

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Jerra Veteran II

Jerra

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What to plant? It depends on what the planter is trying to achieve. I have been involved in landscaping in the past, and the brief has varied from restoring the pre-human mix of trees to recreating a particular type of romantic landscape.

 

If you insist on native trees only, then how long does a tree have to be here to count as native? Bearing in mind that not trees grew here not that many thousand years ago. And how fussy are you going to be? There are two species of oak which commonly grow here, one of which was imported fairly recently from North America. Most people can't tell the difference.

I was assuming the planting was to be along the cut in the country so assumed native or what might be called wild trees. Any plant/animal which made it to this country without the assistance of man is generally classed as native (as most of them have also been here centuries if not millennia.

 

Which of the Oaks are you thinking of White Oak, Swamp White Oak Burr Oak Others?

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deckhand Proficient

deckhand

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Hi just had a newsletter from the marina we are in and they reported "The Volunteer Group which worked with CRT had put in a large number of whips beside the towpath."

But despite google etc I can't find out what whips are (would be good if it was the political types but clearly not)

 

Please let me know if you can and is this an idiom specific to the Midlands? Or am I, as usual showing, how much lack of knowledge I have in public?

 

Thanks for asking that - we just read same and were googling too , ;))

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rubblequeen Proficient

rubblequeen

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Thanks for asking that - we just read same and were googling too , wink.png)

Hi Deckhand, if you are at the Marina maybe you could ask in the office what species of whips or tree have been planted. One would hope that as CRT supplied them they would be the right trees for the job. Whatever job it is they are doing Ie, wind break, securing the bank side as I'm sure CRT wont want to be making problems for themselves in the future.

Oh and thanks all the posters I only expected this to be a one answer query, but as always there is entertainment and education in everything.

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tree monkey Veteran II

tree monkey

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ok there has been a certain amount of stuff and nonsense in this thread, light hearted stuff aside, so here goes

 

whips are a nursery stock term to define a size of transplant, and has more than one use, eg whip, feathered whip etc, it generally means the sort of small winter planted bare root stock but the term is interchangeable, this link helps explain

http://www.hilliertrees.co.uk/wholesalenursery.php

 

Crack willow is considered a native tree, although how you define "native" is open to discussion see this link

http://www.hilliertrees.co.uk/wholesalenursery.php

 

there are many types of willow, including alpine types, which are dwarf, most of which require wet conditions to thrive, planted near to buildings can cause problems but equally on certain soil types the removal of mature trees after a building has been built can cause issues too, see "heave"

 

i personally would not be happy to have a willow near to a house i owned, unless maintained on a regular basis

 

as to damage to the canal system, i am sure it happens but consider how many miles of canals we have and then consider how many willows must be growing near to those canals and then consider how many times there has been a breach caused by these trees, if there is a real problem i am sure it would have been spotted in the past 100 years.

 

i would also not be happy mooring under one in high winds but he answer to that is dont moor under one in high winds

 

Willows are an important species rich "native" tree that have a place in our country side and do not swamp anything, in fact are sort of self limiting in where they will grow depending on the ground conditions, there is a certain amount of variability across the species that increase the range

 

it also makes a fine firewood but needs proper seasoning and by that i mean at least 2 years, depending on various factors eg. when it was felled how its is seasoned and so on, i know many will say they have burnt it sooner but i think it needs proper seasoning.

 

Also i think thorn makes the rubbish firewood so leave it all for mebiggrin.png

 

oh and i would not worry too much about your vine, if you have any real concerns sever the roots a couple of meters away and make sure your drains done leak, plants are buggers for finding the smallest leak and exploiting it

 

anyway thats me for a bit

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Jo_ Proficient

Jo_

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O.K. here's some more information for you all. There was hawthorn, quickthorn, a few holly and a few trees (no, can't remember what they were). All were supplied by the local Wildlife Trust. They were put in well back from the towpath to help infill a threadbare hedge which bordered a scrubby woody bit.

 

And I made a mistake - they weren't all whips. There were some maidens.

 

 

 

biggrin.png

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Jerra Veteran II

Jerra

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O.K. here's some more information for you all. There was hawthorn, quickthorn, a few holly and a few trees (no, can't remember what they were). All were supplied by the local Wildlife Trust. They were put in well back from the towpath to help infill a threadbare hedge which bordered a scrubby woody bit.

 

And I made a mistake - they weren't all whips. There were some maidens.

 

 

 

biggrin.png

Aren't Hawthorn and Quickthorn both names for the same plant Crataegus monogyna? At least the Royal Horticultural Society seem to think they are.

 

Thanks for the extra information.

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rubblequeen Proficient

rubblequeen

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This all started because I didn't know what a whip was, in respect of trees. So Jo come on is "maiden" a term or are you just confusing me again?

 

I wasn't implying that the wrong plants had been used or in the wrong place, just didn't know what a whip was. But I sure do now thanks all - just enlighten me about maidens please.

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Jerra Veteran II

Jerra

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This all started because I didn't know what a whip was, in respect of trees. So Jo come on is "maiden" a term or are you just confusing me again?

 

I wasn't implying that the wrong plants had been used or in the wrong place, just didn't know what a whip was. But I sure do now thanks all - just enlighten me about maidens please.

A maiden as I understand it is basically a bigger whip. 1 year old and 1 to 1.75 metres

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tree monkey Veteran II

tree monkey

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This all started because I didn't know what a whip was, in respect of trees. So Jo come on is "maiden" a term or are you just confusing me again?

 

I wasn't implying that the wrong plants had been used or in the wrong place, just didn't know what a whip was. But I sure do now thanks all - just enlighten me about maidens please.

a maiden is another name for a size of nursery stock

http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/choosing-the-right-fruit-trees.htm

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