Young people standing in Ledmore Nursery green crop
The images are courtesy of Michael Lawrence of Bankfoot whose grandfather, Sandy Rose, was Forester and Head Forester at Ledmore Forest Nursery from 1950 (when land was acquired) until his retirement in 1969.
The image has been given an estimated date of 1956 but could actually be earlier in the period when the nursery was first established and extensively green cropped to improve soil structure and fertility prior to any trees being raised. Green cropping was extensively used as a means of maintaining soil structure and fertility in forest nurseries at this time and sections were always rotated and green cropped with oats and tares (the latter is said to be a type of vetch and good at fixing nitrogen in soil).
The ideal treatment was to grow until at full height and just forming seed heads and then plough the crop into the ground to allow it break down naturally. This practice fell into disuse when artificial fertilisers were introduced. Now here we are again seventy years on beginning to use these cropping systems again to improve the very impoverished structured and carbon depleted soils resulting from years of use of artificial fertilisers only.
Can anyone name the two young people?
Any more information on green cropping in nurseries would be very welcome.
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Groups: Forest Nurseries, Forestry Areas, Mystery and unknown