Out in the far paddock I have had numerous attempts at planting trees. Almost all of them have failed, but the last effort seems to be doing ok this time.

The problem, as usual, is the terrible "soil" available. This is hardcore mining spoil, small river stones regurgitated by the dredging process of gold-mining that in 100 years have now settled into an impenetrable layer. In winter and early spring I can get a posthole digger into the ground and dig out maybe 15 cm. When its dry its hopeless: at best I can create a 5 cm hole, about as big as a fist. At worst I grind the cutting teeth off my auger on the rocks.

Once the holes are dug I can come back and manually gouge out stones one by one, clearing the hole further, and have got as far down as 25cm. But then, come summer, and a few hot days in a row and the sapling planted just dies as the remnant stones heat up and bake the ground and the sapling.

So last year I tried something different. Six months prior to planting I created a pile per tree. I dumped three 20 litre tubs of composted soil, and old horse manure on top of two 20 litre tubs of woodchip, and left it. After six months I came back and placed a cardboard tube over the top of the pile. Into the ring I piled more good soil and manure, planted a tree, and then heavily layered the top with woodchip.

The cardboard tubes were extracted from 220 litre cardboard barrels, that are used to store olive oil. Notionally they are bio-degradable, but they are made of heat compressed cardboard and will last a few years. (The oil is stored inside 220 litre plasticized "wine-cooler" bags, the cardboard barrel supplies the structural support for the bag.) The barrels are maybe a metre and a half tall, and I slice each barrel into five cardboard rings.

Last year's planting using the tube technique

Around the outside of the cardboard tube that now contains the sapling I pour another three tubs of woodchip. This suppresses the weeds that might take off round the ring, and extends the mulched area and its depth, giving the sapling a better chance of not drying out.

Theoretically the sapling has enough room to grow for a couple of years, and ideally the mulch layer creates enough "softness" in the original soil to allow the tree to gets some roots into it. Eventually the cardboard rings will degrade and collapse, and the small tree should be firmly planted on a small mound.

So, that's what I did a year ago, and most of the trees have survived. Getting past the first summer is a critical test usually.

This winter I have extended the plantings, planting more bare-rooted deciduous trees, and now have a second line of trees planted. Its early days, but these trees have just started putting out new leaves.

Its a bit of a folly. The trees are along two perimeter fences, not even visible from the house. I think when they are bigger that they will look spectacular in autumn, but I will have to drive over to see them.

Obviously I will need to build a viewing bench on a high spot, so we can sit and admire the view. Its on the list.....