Friday 28th March, 2008

treeblog Set A - One-Year Anniversary!

By Ash

The development of the Alpha Scots pine (Day 0 to 351).

Today is the first anniversary of the planting of treeblog's Set A! In celebration of their first year in earth, I have prepared this special post to list the major milestones that they have experienced so far.

Day 0 (28th March, 2007) The day of treeblog's inaugural plantage! Seeds of three species were planted as Set A: cider gum (Eucalyptus gunnii Hook. f.); grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench); and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). The Scots pine seeds came from a packet given to me by a representative of the Forestry Commission at a University of Edinburgh careers fair in October 2006. The cider gum seeds came from a packet liberated from a university lab session in February 2007. The grey alder seeds were collected on a university field trip in February 2007.

Day 30 (27th April, 2007) Cider gum and grey alders had definitely sprouted by this day. There was no sign of any seedlings six days earlier on Day 24 (21st April, 2007).

Day 31 (28th April, 2007) Nine cider gums and four grey alders had sprouted so far.

Day 38 (5th May, 2007) Some of the grey alder and cider gum seedlings had gone missing! Cause unknown; probably slugs. The first Scots pine seedling is thought to have sprouted.

Day 47 (14th May, 2007) The Alpha Scots pine had definitely sprouted by this day.

Day 55 (22nd May, 2007) The Beta Scots pine had definitely sprouted by this day. Alpha Scots pine has grown fast, but worries were raised about about the apparent lack of growth in the alder and cider gum seedlings.

Day 69 (5th June, 2007) The above ground parts of the Beta Scots pine were devoured in the night! The surviving seedlings (one Scots pine, three cider gums, four grey alders) plus the Beta Scots pine root and a germinated alder seed were transplanted from seed trays into individual pots.

Day 87 (23rd June, 2007) The second wave of cider gums, consisting of six new seedlings, is transplanted from the seed trays into individual pots. A further cider gum (Number 10) is left behind in the seed trays because of its 'sickly and runtish form'. Despite exceptionally wet weather, the treeblog seedlings 'don't appear to be suffering from any adverse effects'.

Day 89 (25th June, 2007) The day of the Great Sheffield Flood! The treeblog seedlings were not swept away, but they were sitting (some partially submerged) in water-saturated soil. 'One of the poor cider gum seedlings had keeled over and was stuck, submerged, to the soil. I righted it as best I could and it appears to have recovered somewhat.'

The development of grey alder Number 4 (Day 0 to 351).

Day 95 (1st July, 2007) The Beta Scots pine root and the germinated grey alder seed were pronounced 'missing, presumed dead'.

Day 103 (9th July, 2007) The third wave of cider gums, consisting of a further six new seedlings, is transplanted from the seed trays into individual pots. The 'sickly and runtish' Number 10 'no longer looks sickly, but has its first set of proper leaves on the go'.

Day 122 (28th July, 2007) A third (Gamma) Scots pine is discovered! I transplanted it into an individual pot on Day 124 (30th July, 2007). The Alpha Scots pine was also repotted, correcting its lean.

Day 130 (5th August, 2007) On this day I carried out a review of all the cider gums. All are noted to be doing well, with the exception of Numbers 3, 6 and 15.

Day 154 (29th August, 2007) Grey alder Number 4 is easily the largest of all the seedlings, a fact that holds to this very day. The other three alders are still small, but the Alpha Scots pine has corrected its lean. The tall cider gums are looking rather spindly, but the weird Number 3 is putting out plenty of lateral growth.

Day 202 (16th October, 2007) The 'treeblog surprises' were revealed to be common alders [Update (August 2008): they are actually grey alders].

Day 221 (4th November, 2007) Autumn is seen to be beginning to turn the grey alders' leaves brown.

Day 264 (17th December, 2007) For the cider gums, Number 6 is still a runt and Number 3 is still a freak, but Number 15 is doing well. Numbers 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 14 are all noted as being tall – although 12 and 14 are a bit wonky. All the grey alders are leafless (except for Number 3, which still has one green leaf). Two seedlings are discovered to have sprouted in the grey alder tray! But are they really alders or are they sneaky birches?

Day 319 (10th February, 2008) The two new 'alders' are transplanted into a pot.

Day 351 (13th March, 2008) The grey alders' buds are just beginning to open, as are the buds of the two 'alders' that may be birches.

Day 366 (28th March, 2008) Today - the first anniversary of treeblog's inaugural planting!

The development of cider gum Number 9 (Day 0 to 351).

tags: anniversaries + cider gum + grey alder + Scots pine + Set A

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