Going back to get trees

Now that the days are getting shorter and Nature is slowing down, trees are losing their leaves and go into winter rest. The trees suck nitrogen from their leaves, and shed the empty hulls. All the nutrients are stored in the roots and in the bark, waiting for Spring to arrive, to unleash a green cascade of new growth.

Therefore, the early winter is a good time to move trees. The trees can take quite some rough handling when they are in hibernation. I had been impatiently waiting for the leaves to drop, to be able to go back to Holland to get the trees that were waiting for me there.

The day before I left Sweden, we had quite some snow, which would make it a bit tricky to plant the trees upon return. The weather forecast suggested that the following week would be milder, with better tree planting weather.

Back in Soest, I was happy to see the trees that I grafted during the last couple of years. Most of them are chestnut trees, but also different apple varieties and linden trees with edible leaves.

The nut tree nursery will continue in Soest, managed by the wonderful tree friends Maja and Marcel. They will continue with sales via the webshop.

Maja was collecting fig cuttings from all the different "mother trees" that I had been growing out, so that she can continue with these varieties.

Marcel helped me to dig out a thousand trees, mainly one year old grafted trees.

We bundled the trees and heeled them in, to have everything ready for the departure day.

I also took the opportunity to drive to Antwerpen to deliver forty trees to the organic veggie-and-fruit cooperative Pomona. Stéphanie is a friend who was also part of the Agroforestry Network. I am sure that the trees will be happy in her loving hands.

We loaded everything into the rental truck and set off to Denmark for a delivery, and then north to Sweden. My friend Vince joined as co-driver on the journey and we had a good long talk about life and about the decline of our civilisation.

I left Soest with a lot of great memories. We did live there for fifteen years... I am especially grateful for the years together with my friend, farmer Joop, who made it possible for me to start the nut tree nursery.