[Creagan]

I've found a few rowan trees on the croft, tiny we things poking their heads up above the heather. They look to have been heavily grazed in the past (lots of deer about) so I'd like to give them a bit of help.
I'm thinking about physical protection (tube? chicken wire?) and a weed mat, and perhaps some sort of fertiliser to give them a boost.
Any suggestions?

[spandit]

Tube could be good. Cutting space around them would help, as long as it doesn't leave them too exposed. You could weed mat and mulch with cardboard or something but be careful as some mulches can remove nitrogen from the soil

[shygirl]

i was told by the forestry commission that once the main stem has been eaten by deer, they wont grow very tall. the trunk will then have offshoots so will grow width ways rather than tall. alot of our trees are like this and are difficult to walk underneath without cutting back the lower branches.
in my understanding, if the tree was 5ft high when it was nibbled, then the main trunk wont grow above 5 ft. speak to the forestry commission, they are very helpful and will often come out to advise.
personally id buy some new stock and protect them with tubes and a stake.

[Creagan]

Well I was thinking that anything which has survived a few years of nibbling will probably have a decent root system in place, so if I can keep the deer away I hope it will respond fairly well.
How does a mulch remove N from the soil? I understand that bare soil loses N into the air, is it something similar?

[spandit]

If quickly decaying organic mulches such as fresh leaves, wood chips, and straw, are used, a considerable amount of nitrogen is taken from the soil by the micro-organisms decomposing the organic matter. This reduces the nitrogen reserves in the root zone of the growing plant. If additions of nitrogenous fertilizer aren't made regularly, a nitrogen deficiency may result.

(From http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/mulch/MULCH.html)

[doganjo]

Seedling Rowans can be dug up and replanted - mine were about 2 feet high when I moved here 5 years ago, they are now flourishing at 10 feet.