February 9th 2015
The Birds & The Bees
The last throes of winter and some intriguing wildlife sightings…
These cold long days make the winter harder to get through, but the nights are now getting lighter and spring is just around the corner.
Our Camellias are in full bud and some varieties are in flower. One of my favourite shrubs, Edgeworthia Chrysantha are showing their beautiful yellow flowers ready for the first bees to feed on after their hibernation. We have been fencing the perimeter of the nursery – that has helped to keep us warm.
Being outside even though very cold, it was good to see the buzzards catching the thermals. At the same moment a flock of goldfinches flew down the hedge line while the resident robins were so close to see what we had disturbed for them to eat. And a single goldcrest appeared and disappeared throughout the day. It was good to see.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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January 16th 2015
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
The nursery is so well stocked, and there is not a great deal to do at this time of the year. We have been concentrating on pruning and potting. Saying that, the weeds are still growing so de-weeding as well.
With all the rain at the moment that makes the ground so soggy, it has delayed the thoughts of planting to a later date.
The winter flowering cherries are in flower and the crab apples are just becoming ripe so the birds will have a feast. Also, the Edgeworthia chrysantha are showing their silver buds, just waiting to break into flower.
At least the sun is out while I write this…
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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December 19th 2014
A final update for the year…
A close look at two of our favourite trees this Winter…
We are so busy re-potting stock at the moment for the coming season. I undertake the potting outside. This time of the year it can be so cold for the first fifteen minutes, then normally you are as warm as toast!
When we were potting on Sunday, a flock of Gold Finches spent the day flying back and forth between a Poplar tree and an Ash tree. In the afternoon, we were treated to a small flock of Long Tailed Tits searching for food through the trees.
We have just finished potting the Pittosporum variegatum into 43 litre pots. They are so big – approximately 5’ tall by 4’ across – the largest I have stocked. It started to rain again before we finished – so wet again! We have now started re-potting our Japanese maples – a job I love doing as we have so many varieties.
I have also found a new nursery doing fruit trees in this country. They are some of the best grown I have seen for years. Have potted all of them and pruned a good percentage of them. We can offer a better size than normal of the popular varieties. A lot more impressive. I will look forward to our next growing season to see the results of the work we are undertaking now.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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December 1st 2014
December Update
A close look at two of our favourite trees this Winter…
- Prunus laurocerasus Caucasica
I do like this tree. It has darker green foliage compared to most other evergreen trees. A long but thinner leaf to most evergreens. It is a very hardy tree and will stand full sun to virtual full shade. It will grow in most soil, but as most evergreens does not like to be in heavily water-logged soil.
It can be heavily pruned. It has white flowers followed by black berries. It is not poisonous and the birds love the berries. It will also grow on a shallow chalk soil. I would, if on a heavy chalk, feed with a strong iron based fertiliser to keep the darker green leaf.
- Magnolia galliensis ‘Grandiflora’ (Bull Bay)
A large growing tree which can be very heavily pruned. It has a large green glossy top, with a tanned underside foliage which shines in the sunlight. It has large white flowers August-September, depending on the weather – really wet conditions lessens the flowering period.
At the nursery, we are asked, “why hasn’t my Magnolia flowered?” This is normally due to the roots having been covered over. They just do not like this treatment. The trees need to have a maturity before they will flower. They will grow on chalky soil. It is a tree that has been used near foundations and does not appear to have caused any damage over the years. They can be seen at many stately homes.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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November 11th 2014
New Stock from the Continent
Tips and tricks to ensure you get your growing right this year…
We have just had the first three-quarters of a lorry load of new stock in from Spain. This year’s stock is the best I have had in. The quality is so good because this year’s weather has been so good for growing.
Now the weather has started to change, it is the best time to start planting. The wet weather will help to settle new plants – a lot better than tap water. When planting for the next few months (until the end of February), I would not fertilise your new plants. I would use Rootgrow in all planting in the ground throughout the year.
The bare root and root ball season has started, but a little later than usual as the weather is still mild. Many nurseries starting lifting too early while the sap is still rising. I wait until the sap is down, so the tree\shrub etc. is dormant for the winter. I think lifting early could damage the root system as it will still be drawing nutrients and moisture.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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October 21st 2014
October Update
New stock arrivals and wonderful English weather shenanigans…
Autumn colours this year have been outstanding. The Japanese Maples have shown their best autumn foliage for years. I was on the nursery all day yesterday (20th October), gaping up to make room for a lorry load of new stock due in from Spain later this week. A really good day in the rain and sun! The wet foliage glistened in the late afternoon sunshine. There were two robins searching for insects under every pot we moved.
Not many enquiries today, so plenty of time to get on with work. The Euonymous alatus – such a pure red foliage – is an eye catching hardy shrub ideal to brighten many a garden. The Liquidambar styraciflua and the Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ trees are showing the best of their foliage, predominantly red with orange and yellow at the same time – stunning. A tree that can be hard pruned if required. My favourite tree – Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’ is also just starting to show its beautiful autumn foliage.
A flock of goldfinches flew backwards and forwards between two mature trees in the field most of the afternoon. Rain just makes you wet – it does not detract from the beauty around you. I look forward to new stock, more to find places for about seven hundred shrubs in total. A colleague and I enjoy making displays, we find it to be very calming. We have a lot of good feedback from customers on how we keep the nursery looking so fresh twelve months of the year.
I am also looking forward to all the bare root stock coming in. This will be in November. I love potting. I have been told by my colleagues that I am sad, but there you go – it takes all sorts and I just love being outside.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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October 16th 2014
The Stalwart Oak Tree
Standing the test of time…
October is here once again. Sad how time leaves you and age approaches you, so when we gaze in wonder of oak trees in their latter years – six hundred years plus – it can be humbling to realise that an oak tree has lived through generations of our ancestors.
I was told many years ago, that an oak tree takes three hundred years to reach maturity, three hundred years at maturity and three hundred years to die (I should add that this would be an oak tree growing in completely ideal conditions). Many trees on lesser ground would die at an earlier age. As we go into the later stages of autumn, the oak trees become more noticeable as the leaves start to fall. A tree emerges with such strong characteristics of stature on our countryside landscape.
So, if you have the area for a strong, long surviving main structure on your landscape, give a thought to the amount of future ancestors that will marvel at such a wonderful natural tree.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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October 7th 2014
The Best Trees for Screenage
Need a bit of privacy? Looking for something to divide up your garden but don’t want a nasty brick wall? Look no further…
Initially I would suggest Photinia fraseri ‘Red Robin’. It is normally grown as a shrub (so if you are looking for information you will find it in books about shrubs). A lot of nurseries, including ourselves, supply them as a clear stem tree (trunk from root to first branch break 150-180cm is classed as a standard). They grow 6m – 7m. It is a tree that can take hard pruning and cutting with a hedge cutter – so as tough as old boots! Can stand heavy chalk soil and exposed windy conditions. I would not use direct onto the sea, but second road back should be fine. Will grow on acidic clay soil but will not stand growing on water-logged ground. The new growth in the spring is a strong vibrant red, slowly turning green then staying green through the winter months. The leaf shed is normally March through to June. This old tired foliage will mostly be replenished. Has clusters of white flowers in the spring (stunning) followed by red to orange berries which the birds love. 
As a standard evergreen tree, it has a smaller leaf than most evergreens. The slightly darker green leaf produces cone shaped clusters of white flowers followed by green-red turning to sometimes dark purple to black berries in the autumn. The berries are not poisonous and the birds love them. A slower growing evergreen, the Portugese Laurel keeps a better shape than most and can be shaped to size. I would use it for creating a screen within the outer perimeter of a garden as the smaller foliage can be lost at the end of a garden. I would always recommend a larger leafed tree for screenage on the perimeter of the garden. Very hardy grower on chalk soils. 
I would say this has a slightly mid to lightish-green leaf, although there are a lot of differing opinions on the true colour! The trees I have dealt with so far are a mid to light colour, not dark leaves. It will survive on poorly drained, compacted soil. It will also stand drought conditions and pollution. Again, this is an inner screenage tree because of the mid to small leaf. It has white flowers followed by black berries. The berries are not poisonous and the birds love them.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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September 15th 2014
Exotic New Stock!
A new season brings new stock from far afield…
Acer Palmatum ‘Shin Deshojo’
We are just starting to sort out the new seasons’ stock, which will hopefully arrive in October\November depending upon the weather conditions. There are so many nurseries in Europe struggling this year so stock is more readily available. Our Japanese Maples from New Zealand have now fully rooted and are now ready for sale. This is earlier than normal, and we are very pleased with their growth. Next week another load of potting compost will arrive for another round of potting as the root growth is still there. It is late in the season but it needs doing. Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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September 15th 2014
Blue Skies, Sunshine and… Fungus?
Everyone (especially in the UK!) appreciates a long hot summer, but the weather can make the Summer a struggle for plants…
This seasons’ berries are in abundance, but the strain of a long dry summer is showing on so many trees – Mountain Ash varieties and Crab Apple varieties in particular have had a hard job retaining all of their foliage. Birch have shed a quarter to half of their foliage. Shedding a quantity of their foliage helps the tree by reducing the amount of moisture it requires. This protects the secondary bud that can then re-leaf either when the rain comes again in warm weather or if the dry weather continues into late autumn – early winter. The bud will then leaf and grow the following spring. As the tree is stressed because of the dry weather and the leaves are dehydrated, this will allow fungal spores already attached to the underside of the foliage to attack the weakened leaves. Bacterial sprays are available to stop the fungus from spreading down the leaf vein into the secondary bud shoots. If the secondary bud gets heavily infected the branches will start to die off. The spring is the time when this is normally noticed – too late – then you will have to remove dead branches. I am writing this whilst waiting for my son in a car park in Worthing looking at a London Plane that has shed about 20% of its foliage due to the dry weather. There is also a Norway Maple that has lost all of its top growth. We need rain.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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September 1st 2014
Bringing Life to your Garden – 5 Perfect Trees for Birds
As beautiful as trees can be on their own, any garden is improved by the addition of some resident wildlife. Today we’re discussing the best trees for tempting birds into your garden…
Any tree planted helps birds by providing berries or fruit to feed off in the autumn and, when in leaf, attracting insects that feed on foliage. These insects then help birds to rear their chicks, providing a food source for the chicks and the birds too.
Also important for a nesting site is a thorny tree, as this will add extra protection for nesting birds against squirrels raiding their nests.
A few of our favourite trees are:
Amelanchier Canadensis – ‘Shadbush’
Amelanchier canadensis – a small, deciduous tree with green foliage, turning yellow-red and orange copper tinges in the autumn. It has masses of small white flowers normally in April, which are followed by berries.
Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’ – a small tree with glossy green foliage, turning such stunning colours in the autumn. Red-orange-yellow. It has white flowers in May followed by large berries ripening late into the autumn. It is good for Fieldfares and Red Wings and is such a tough tree. A heavily thorned tree (common name Cockspur Thorn) it is an ideal nesting site.
Malus ‘Evereste’ – Crab Apple Tree
Malus Everest – is another small tree which has green leaves that turn mainly yellow in the autumn. The white flowers produce good crab apples into the winter. We have spent time observing Fieldfares eating the crab apples when snow is on the ground, with Thrushes and Blackbirds jostling for position!
Corylus Avellana (Hazel) – All the way through the spring, summer and autumn the Long Tailed Tits feed off the insect life on the leaves. This small tree turns brilliant yellow in the autumn.
Euonymous Europeaus ‘Red Cascade’ – This deciduous tree has green leaves, turning red-orange and yellow in the autumn. The white flowers develop a pink shell with an orange berry that will show itself when ripe. The birds love them.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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August 1st 2014
Beat the Heat! Tips for Dry Weather
Too much of a good thing can prove difficult for gardeners…
What a dry summer – the ground is parched.
It is most important to maintain the required amount of water. Keep you trees, shrubs etc. moist to dry, this will allow the water to drain through the root system so the feeler roots will chase the water to the water table. Overwatering will not make the trees or shrubs grow faster. All you will do is semi-drown or drown the root system. This will encourage the root system to rot.
Everybody’s’ ground is different to how fast or slow it dries out. Therefore, if your trees or shrubs are still wet when you go to water them walk away. Do not be tempted to water. Allow the ground to start to dry before re-watering.
When fertilising, fertilise around the root system – 6” the first time, then 12” then 18”. This will help to drawer the feeler roots out to the nutrient. Once a month during the first growing season should be enough. If you concentrate on developing a strong, healthy root system this will help to build strength into the tree or shrub to help them cope with windblown spore fungus that are blown in the wind from surrounding trees and shrubs, possibly miles away. They will attach themselves to the underside of the foliage, so if you do have a spray as a cure, concentrate on mainly the underside. After your trees and shrubs have built up their own immune system, they will be able to cope against a windblown spore fungus. Overwatering and under watering are a major problem.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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August 1st 2014
Wonders of Wildlife
An excellent year…
A very good flowering year!
Hydrangeas have put on so much – a good show. The flowers have been so large. We have had so much colour on the nursery this year. The Buddleias have encouraged so many bees and butterflies.
On the nursery, it has been one of the best years for birds nesting e.g. wrens, blue tits, great tits, gold finches, blackbirds, dunnocks, thrushes and wagtails. It is good for controlling caterpillars and green and black fly.
One of the best parts of my job is to encourage wildlife. About 18 years ago, I had a large pond dug out. This is now a natural pond for wildlife – dragonflies, damselflies, frogs and toads are just a few inhabitants that we see. I let the pond go wild with slight intervention to control rampant bull rushes, pond lilies and elodea.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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July 15th 2014
Onto the Next Batch
Short of rain at Arundel Arboretum, but not inspiration…
July is the time of year for cleaning beds and starting on the next batch of potting. There is always something that needs potting on.
We have just had our next season’s Japanese Maples in from New Zealand. In New Zealand it is their lifting season, so all of the trees have come in defoliated and bare root (no soil attached to the root system) as our lifting season is during our winter. I still find it bizarre – we container them as quickly as we can to stop too much transportation and within four weeks they will be in leaf (for a short season before our winter takes the foliage back off as it should do). I like to fully harden them off in early spring ready for the new season. When I first started at Arundel Arboretum, some 34 years ago, I would not have thought of bringing in items from half way around the world.
We need rain to liven up gardens and encourage planting again. At the moment, at least some of the top gardening shows are on the television. This is always good for inspiring gardeners to carry on planting. Just ensure you maintain whatever plants you have planted with water and fertilise after planting – away from the root system.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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May 8th 2014
New Bloom
As Spring continues, lots of wonderful trees and plants are in flower at Arundel Arboretum…
May has arrived, bringing the sun with it, after such a long winter and I’m so pleased to see the abundance of flowers and growth. The Japanese Maples in their splendour of new leaf and growth. Crab apples and apple trees with so much flower.
We are still selling so much hedging – mainly 150-180cm (5’ – 6’) in height. We have to check on a daily basis where the birds have started nesting to make sure they do not get disturbed until after the chicks have fledged.
You will see on our website the amount of new varieties to our nursery. We are constantly potting on a day-to-day basis to keep the freshness and quality of the stock. If you get a chance, pop in and have a look around.
At present, we have out in flower Wisteria, Weigela, Choisya, Magnolia, Cherry, Laburnum, Crab Apple, Apple, Quince, Plum, Pear, Rhododendron, Lilac, Azalea, Genista, Myrtle, Dogwood and many more that escape me. The Photinia Red Robins are full of flower and the new red growth is stunning.
Our new stock of Olives has just arrived from Spain. They are a really good quality and come in a variety of sizes.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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March 31st 2014
Spring is here!
Spring has transformed the look of the nursery as it does every year. The new growth is so fresh, so invigorating. The buds are breaking on so many varieties of Japanese maples – so much colour variation.
It’s a superb time over the next three weeks, so make sure to visit the nursery and see the beauty of spring foliage!
The Magnolias are out in flower – what a show this year, as we have not had any hard frosts to nip the end of the flower petals – time to think of feeding with a root growth stimulant.
This will give the shrubs an extra boost in order to help push the new foliage out, as the strength will be going into the flowers.
However, it’s important to remember that this can starve the nutrient level in the surrounding soil and starved roots can put a weakness into the foliage.
Weakened foliage is then much more susceptible to windblown funguses.
If the shrub has a strong, healthy foliage most of the wind spore funguses will not be able to penetrate.
If you do experience problems, take a sample in a clear sealed plastic bag to stop the fungus from spreading and seek advice from your local expert.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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March 6th 2014
Plant Problems: Planting Trees Too Deep
This month we’re taking a look at a problem we see all too often and finding some ways to help…
Trees that are planted too deep – we encounter this problem on a daily basis. Most people don’t realise that this simple mistake can stop a tree from flowering, stunt the growth of the tree, or even, in extreme cases, cause it to die.
So if you have a tree, shrub or climber that has not flowered or grown in the manner that you expected it to then the first step is to get the top of the root system exposed and make sure the trunk of the tree is not rotting.
By covering the top of the root system you are effectively suffocating the tree, weakening the whole strength of the immune system and allowing bacterial fungi to penetrate the foliage.
At this point, you will have to spray the item with a suitable fungicide concentrate – mainly spraying the underside of the foliage.
It is important to focus on the underside of the foliage as this is the area most frequently exposed to spores and other irritants when winds blow through the area. These winds typically expose the underside of foliage, allowing harmful materials to attach themselves.
Spraying can stop fungus travelling into the secondary bud shoot and stop the branch from dying.
If you wish a nursery to identify the problem for you, always put a sample into a clear, sealed plastic bag. Nurseries will not appreciate an infected branch being waved around!
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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January 22nd 2013
Into the New Year: Arundel Arboretum Update
It’s the first Arundel Arboretum blog of 2014! This week we’ll update you on what we’ve been up to and look ahead to an exciting new product…
How mild the weather is for this time of year!
It’s been great to see the long tailed tits finding food on the winter flowering cherries. The scene would have made a wonderful photograph against the backdrop of white flowers on the Prunus subhirtella Autumnalis which stand out so much at the time of year.
Overhead two buzzards catch the thermals. Further down the tree lines, Malus sylvestris (crab apple) are showing their fruits.
With the bad storms we have had this winter, we’ve been forced to remove a lot of broken rails and stakes and replace them with new ones. At least the ground is easier to put stakes in, but it’s still really too wet for this time of year.
We received a visit from a German Nursery the other day. A representative arrived with a lorry full of good quality sample shrubs containing some very interesting varieties. I’m always keen to use plants from northern Europe, as they have colder weather which should create tougher plants. Our first order or these exciting new shrubs should be with us mid-February, so look out for them!
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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December 18th 2013
Tree Buying Guide
In this week’s blog we looking at buying trees, shrubs or conifers and share our opinion on the various ways that they’re sold. We hope you find it useful!
There are so many opinions on the best way to buy a tree, shrub or conifer that it can be tough to find any really useful tips. Today we’ll try to outline the 3 most popular ways trees are sold in order to help you make an informed decision.
Now that the winter has started to set in, the tree lifting season has begun and most nurseries will wait for the first frost. Lifting season means that trees, shrubs and conifers grown in the ground can be lifted to sell bare rooted (with no soil attached).
Bare rooted trees are grown in the ground and will have been undercut on a yearly basis (‘Undercut’ means that the root system has been pruned with an undercut blade pulled through the ground by a double drum winch). Trees sold in this way can flourish if cared for appropriately, but ensure that you check the main roots for tears or splits before buying.
You will also be able to buy trees that have been “root balled” (this means lifted out of the ground with soil still attached to the roots in a ball shape). This method is usually even more successful, as there are fewer disturbances to the roots. Trees lifted in this way also acclimatise a lot quicker to their new position.
A third option is containerised trees. It’s our opinion that container grown trees, if treated properly, will acclimatise a lot better than the other two methods. Containerised trees can also be planted in any month of the year so for a tree, shrub and plant centre like Arundel Arboretum, this is the ideal situation for all year round sales. Whilst we do stock bare root and ball rooted items, they are mainly only stocked to order, so they are less readily available.
If you’d like some more information on the subject, feel free to pop into Arundel Arboretum and see us. We’re happy to share our expertise!
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
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November 27th 2013
How to Maintain Olive and Bay Trees
Every couple of weeks we’ll be aiming to share some our gardening expertise with you in the form of short posts which we hope you’ll find helpful!
To stop your tree from looking tired or dying, it is wise to remove the tree from its container in November-December time. Make sure to do this on a day when the root system is not frozen in order to protect the root system of the tree from thermal frosting. Cut away about ten per cent of the root system.
Then, using a mix of 50% good quality potting compost and 50% topsoil, mixed together well, add to the bottom of the container with a slow release fertiliser. Put the tree back into the container and fill around the sides. Doing this every year or every other year at least, will encourage a stronger, healthier root system. This in turn will help the tree to withstand any fungal attack at the roots, as well as the foliage.
Feeding over the roots in a container should happen between March and September (We do sell the ideal fertiliser to use – so why not pop in and see us if you’re in the area?).
Pruning the head of the tree into your desired shape can be done at any time throughout the year using that year’s growth. If you’re planning on pruning the tree a bit harder into thicker growth, then we would recommend leaving this until November-December.
Thicker wood will bleed during the growing season and unfortunately, this can encourage insects that will feed from the sap. The insect could have been on a diseased tree beforehand and with an open wound, the likelihood of infection is greater. Thankfully during the winter, the sap cycle is reduced massively and most insects are hibernating so there’s less risk of infection.
Tim Teear – Arundel Arboretum
