I first heard about no-fence tree planting after a conversation with Jonathan Hulson, Land Management Advisory Service Development Officer for North Wales Wildlife Trust. Jonny visited our Pentwyn Farm site, and recommended use of cover and sabre tree planting techniques.

One of the ways in which young trees naturally escape browsing pressure is by growing out and over sloping ground on hillsides, rocky outcrops, streams and riverbanks. Sabre planting mimics this by planting trees perpendicular/ at 90 degrees to a steep slope, helping to keep the vulnerable leading shoots as far out of reach from livestock as possible. However, if the leading shoot is browsed, then a less accessible shoot will take over as the lead. As the tree grows upwards, it will start to take on a more vertical direction, creating a curve in the stem. The curve is what gives the name ‘sabre’.

The use of cover tree planting technique involves using features of the landscape to provide cover for the new trees. For example, planting on the edge of thickets or within bracken, gorse, bramble, and thorns. It is not only the difficulty of access that protects the trees here; another factor is the way the trees are hidden from view by the cover vegetation.

For both of these methods, the trees used should be 1-1.5 metres to give them a better chance of survival. Ideally, they should also be pot grown to make sure the roots are compact and have some good soil around them. We have previously sourced these trees from North Wales Wildlife Trust or The Woodland Trust. You could ask your local tree nursery whether they are able to provide any pot-grown trees of this size, or if you are passionate about increasing the availability of local provenance tree stock, perhaps you could even collect your own tree seed and have a go at growing your own if you have a polytunnel or green house.

In 2024 we planted 200 trees using the sabre planting and use of cover techniques on Beacon Hill along the River Lugg (on Crown Estate land on one side and the RWT-owned Cnwch Bank on the other side). These are great planting techniques to use on common land, as fencing can't be put up on commons. We obtained permission from the Beacon Hill graziers for this, and I even had a few of them come out with me for a demonstration, to show them what we planned to do and how it works. I recently spotted the trees, still alive and doing really well! So, if you’re walking that section of the Heart of Wales Line Trail, make sure to keep an eye out for them! And if you’d like to see trees that have been planted using these techniques on Pentwyn Farm, then check out the RWT website for events at Pentwyn such as guided walks: https://www.rwtwales.org/events

The Wilder Pentwyn project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.