Plant and Seed Supply Branch is a Forestry Commission Business Unit delivering a shared service to the Forestry Commission. We have 3 nurseries, Delamere, Newton, Wykeham and 1 seed processing unit at Alice Holt. Our customers are very particular about what they plant in the forest which is why they come to us for specialist advice.
Caledonian Scots Pine trees are specified all the way back to the forest where the seed is collected. Their genetic origin is most important and we have been able to trace back every plant to the time and place of seed collection.
The English oak is another tree that we like to grow close to home. We collect acorns from the very best stands in the New Forest because our experience is that these grow well on heavy soils in the south of England. Our collectors can pick tonnes of acorns for us to sow each year and still leave plenty for the squirrels.
For our most discerning customers we reserve our genetically improved Sitka spruce cuttings. These are selected families of trees with desirable timber properties such as straight stems and high wood density. It takes at least 6 years to produce a plant this way for forest use, the cuttings are all taken by hand and rooted in polyhouses before transplanting to the open nursery.
Our units are suitably equipped to supply large orders for plants and seed anywhere in the UK. We sometimes supply trees to thetrade if there is shortage in availability and we regularly supply seed when stocks are available. All of our nurseries are equipped with large cold stores to hold plants awaiting delivery. Trees can be freezer stored for up to 3 months and planted into May with no detrimental effect. Cell-grown stock is currently used to extend the season for machine planting in Wales. For further information on any of the above information, please contact John Morgan
