Is a lot of information needed to plant trees successfully?
Most of the ideas and techniques are straightforward, but information is usually required, as: • there are many different species and genetic origins to choose between, with big differences between them (B 20; C 5 in Manual 3); • most trees used to come up by themselves, so there is often a lack of knowledge about growing indigenous species; and • a single mistake at an early stage might undermine the whole enterprise. Are ideas like those behind this series of manuals? Yes, and of the videos planned to accompany them, as with Manual 1 and Video 1. Translations of these are available in Spanish and Bahasa Malaysia, while other languages are planned. Some users have already been stimulated to write about individual species and local conditions. Examples of further sources of information are given in sheets B 51–52. Are there some other general guide-lines? • Planting is generally needed, even in sites where some trees come up by themselves. • Mixtures of species are usually better than
