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Over the past 5 years Cheviot
Trees demand for supply of one of our most natural and beautiful
plants, native
heather (Calluna vulgaris) has increased tenfold. Cheviot Trees now
produce annually in access of 250,000 plants, grown in a mixture of
plugs ranging from 15cc plugs up to a 200cc
Cell.
Various methods of management are adopted but the introduction of new
plants, usually using locally collected seed grown
on contract, is the preferred and most successful way of
establishing and restoring heather.
Old, degenerating, or even aged stands of heather require restoration to
develop a diverse age structure, reverse nutrient accretion and to
enable ongoing management. Whether for sporting game or natural habitat
management a mix of ages is important.
Options for heathland restoration include: Mowing with a double
chop forage harvester, collecting and removing the cut material from
site, allowing regeneration from rootstock is most suitable for
diversifying uniform age stands.
Old heather does not regenerate well after cutting. Hence it may be
necessary to scarify the organic litter after forage harvesting, with a
light harrow, to expose the seed bank. Where the litter is deep (>2
cm) it will be beneficial to remove it all together, thereby exposing
any buried seed.
Controlled burning can also be used to regenerate old stands and
diversify the structure of even aged stands. This will remove the
standing crop and at least some of the organic litter layer.
Regeneration will come from buried seed and to a lesser extent from
rootstocks.
The planting of new stock will also produce the desired effect provided
the stock is planted densely enough. On clear ground 10 plants per m²
can be used, but a lesser number will suffice where a patchy
regeneration has already taken place.
Today
the cover of heather has become severely fragmented, especially in the
south. Although we have considerably more heather in the North of
England and upland areas throughout the UK generally, in the south the
species is confined to a few fragmented, and often reducing patches in
Dorset, Suffolk, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire Obviously, our southern
heathlands have been under threat during the last century by a variety
of factors including, industry, agriculture, housing and quarrying,
which have not effected the northern uplands to the same extent.
This north/south difference is reflected in the way in which
conservation is viewed. In the South of England, heathland
management is seen as important, whereas in the Northern Uplands, where
the biggest threat is from sheep overgrazing, the heather is managed as
it has always been, but conservation is not perceived as vital.
 
Golf
Courses in front line defence of heathland heritage
Following
a recent survey, the STRI estimates that of our 2,800
UK
and Irish golf clubs, 440 are heathland courses, and approx 140 of these
are situated in the vulnerable south. With an average heather coverage of
six point two hectares per course, these southern golf clubs would appear
to be responsible for an approximate 868 hectares of heather between them.
Although a small percentage of our total national resource, Cheviot Trees
are keen to point out that considering the rate of the apparent plant’s
decline, the fact that a golf course is a stable land use, will render the
heather on these areas increasingly more important as time goes by.
Interestingly, 80% of the golf clubs included in the survey wanted to
extend and increase their heather coverage, although only 55% believed
that the plant was declining. Perhaps this is explained by the fact that
63% believed heather to be important to the playing character of the
course and 75% believed heather enhanced member’s enjoyment of the game.
The pressures on golf courses of golfers trampling over the plant, which
is a slow grower and takes years to establish is apparent. This is why the
introduction of heather on golf courses needs to be managed properly with
designated no go areas introduced for set periods of time to allow the
heather to grow and establish as rough before cutting could take place as
then if cut low enough heather can make a valuable addition to the course
being used instead of grass as rough with the added advantage over grass
of flowering during the summer months.
Cheviot
Trees and the Archerfield Golf Development
Cheviot Trees have worked extensively with a new golf development along
the east coast of
Scotland
at the Archerfield
Estate to establish a heather feature along their new 6th
hole. This entailed using 40,000 native heather - Calluna vulgaris,
planted on an embankment visible from the rest of the course and the newly
restored Archerfield
House
. The job was made more difficult with the soil ph level being incorrect
and requiring large amounts of sulphur to reduce the level to a point that
would allow the heather to thrive. This has been a resounding success,
with the heather now growing well and producing a nice show of colour in
the late summer.
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