Winter Planning on the Estate
The mild and damp winter to date has meant that the Autumn sown crops have made steady progress. Problems may arise if there is an extended period of frost since, unlike last year, the crops have not been hardened off. Treating the crops that survive the winter to protect them against diseases and pests will be a question of timing so that we can minimise the cost. The same considerations apply to the application of fertilizer which will only be used as and when appropriate.
To the North of Honley Road the hybrid winter Barley is very strong and hopefully will produce a good crop at harvest. Wheat is good, although there are a number of areas that have ponded, either through ineffective drainage or compaction of clay soils.
Planning for the spring crops is well underway and we now await weather and soil temperatures. The land between Fenay Beck, Penistone Road and that adjacent to Reliance Mill will be cultivated and a three year grass ley will be planted. The area leading to Jumble Wood will be cultivated and a crop of Spring Barley is to be planted. We aim to choose a variety which will render a barley sample that will hopefully be suitable for brewing beer. Work throughout the summer will also be undertaken to the land between Fenay Beck and Squirrel Wood. This will entail some drainage, the eradication of noxious weeds, a new fence to Squirrel Wood prior to cultivation and the planting of winter wheat.
Land on Field Lane that has been grass for three years will come back into arable cultivation. Spring Barley and Winter Wheat will be sown, after which it will revert to grass for a further three years. Alternatively, another break crop (beans for example) may appear more suitable.
By the time you are reading this update, we are hoping that planting along the bank below Glen Farm has taken place; similarly the biomass crop beneath Ludhill which will be a source of fuel in due course. In order to produce a successful harvest of trees for this purpose, Ash and Birch will grow as single stems for ten years which will then be cropped; regeneration will produce multiple stems that will be subsequently cropped at seven year periods. Squirrel Wood will also be under planted, predominately with Oak – in tubes to protect them against vermin. As an aside, out of all the timber that was felled in Squirrel Wood, there were only two butts of Oak that were up to the standard required by the sawmills. The remaining timber is good only for firewood and will be retained for the biomass project. Lack of management with no long term view as to the value of woodland a considerable number of years ago is the cause of an absence of decent quality trees.
However, this year heralds the beginning of a concerted effort by the Estate to regenerate its woodland assets. It will be carried out sympathetically although there will be times when certain areas may have the appearance of ‘de-forestation’. This will be a false impression – remedied once the under planting grows beyond its protective tubes, the remaining trees regenerate and the undergrowth/bulbs takes Nature’s course. All this work is part of the Estate’s endeavour to provide a long-term sustainable woodland capable of multiple usage and to enhance the area as a natural habitat.