Agroforestry is primarily practised by farmers, but elements are increasingly applied to homesteads and large gardens
If agroforestry is new to you, one really should start with ART – Agroforestry Research Trust.
Agro-forestry means cultivating trees with other agricultural crops and/or livestock, in the same field.
The trees are grown in lanes an appropriate distance apart: closer together for livestock to provide more shelter, further apart for crops to let the light in. Wise species selection is crucial.
The Forestry Commission’s very own Forest Research Agency, led by Kate Beauchamp and Alice Broome, have released an agroforestry tree selection guide aimed at farmers, foresters, advisers, and policymakers, but it’s of interest to anyone planning a woodland.
The guide covers 30 trees mainly grown for timber, fuel, and in some cases tree fodder for animals:
- Field maple (Acer campestre)
- Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
- Italian Alder (Alnus cordata)
- Common Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
- Red Alder (Alnus rubra)
- Paper-bark Birch (Betula papyrifera)
- Silver Birch (Betula pendula)
- Downy Birch (Betula pubescens)
- Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
- Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa)
- Hazel (Corylus avellana)
- Cider Gum (Eucalyptus gunnii)
- Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
- Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
- Walnut (Juglans regia)
- Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
- Black Poplar (Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia)
- Hybrid Poplars for Short Rotation Cropping (Populus spp.)
- Aspen (Populus tremula)
- Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)
- Orchard Plum (Prunus domestica ssp. domestica)
- Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)
- Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea
- Common Oak (Quercus robur)
- Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
- White Willow (Salix alba)
- Goat Willow (Salix caprea)
- Grey Willow (Salix cinerea)
- Willow varieties for Short Rotation Cropping (Salix spp.)
- Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
- Small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata)
And the three most common orchard fruit in the UK: