Learn All About Forestry Farming

Spring

Growth

Spring brings renewed growth in both young (saplings) and old trees. They shoot up in height and out in girth. Each year, trees also get a new layer of wood which can be seen as a new ring under their bark.

Leaves

Branches may have been bare all winter but in the spring, deciduous trees produce new green leaves. Sunlight triggers the emergence of leaves on trees.

Budding

Trees are dormant in the winter and don't have much energy to produce buds. When spring arrives, buds begin to swell up and get ready to open.

Flowering

Although we might not notice it, all trees have flowers. The pine cone is actually the flower of the conifer tree! Flowers are needed for tree reproduction.

Summer

Water

Trees require lots of water to grow but in the summer, less water is available. So tree growth starts to slow down, with smaller and fewer wood cells being produced. Towards the end of summer, the tree's energy will just be used to produce buds and to store reserves.

Shade

Trees provide a great source of shade in summer time for people, animals, flowers and shrubs. With thousands of leaves, it's the Canopy Layer of the forest, (the area which contains the majority of the largest trees) that provides the greatest shade.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is ongoing during bright, summer days. Photosynthesis is the process where carbon dioxide is absorbed and converted into oxygen in the leaves of the trees.

Autumn

Fruit

Trees develop fruit which ripens at different times of the year, depending on their species. The fruit of a tree develops once the flowers of the tree have been fertilised by pollen. Chestnuts are the fruit of the Horse Chestnut tree and acorns are the fruit of the Oak tree.

Leaves

From vibrant green to oranges and browns. Autumn is when the leaves of deciduous trees change colour. The main role of leaves is to carry out photosynthesis but when this can no longer happen, the tree drops its leaves. The fallen dead leaves form the Leaf Layer of the forest.

Flowers and Seeds

A tree will start to prepare new flowers in autumn. Special buds called floral buds are produced by the trees.

Winter

Deciduous and Evergreen Trees Varieties

Bare leafless trees means cold winter days. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn and remain bare until spring. However, evergreen trees are just like their name. They keep their leaves, providing shelter to wildlife during those cold winter months.

Christmas Trees

Oh Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches! The main species of Christmas trees grown and sold in Ireland are the Noble Fir, the Lodgepole Pine and the Norway Spruce. Our Christmas trees are sold all across Europe.

Fire Wood

Trees provide fire wood which is a renewable source of energy for heating purposes. Fire wood is very clean and environmentally friendly. Replanting forests that have been cut down means that they can continue to exist.