Half of trees in Isle of Man 'people's wood' not growing well

A programme to replace the deads tree will continue until 2026

About half of the trees planted as part of a new "people's wood" on the Isle of Man have not grown as expected, the government has said.

The 85,000-tree project at Meary Veg in Santon was started in February last year.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) said the "failure rate" of the plants was 20% higher than normal.

That was partly due to this year's hot and dry weather, he added.

A tree planted by Howard Quayle to mark the start of the project has been vandalised

The broadleaf trees, which include Aspen, Willow, Sycamore and Oak, were planted using a method called mound planting, a common technique used in forest development.

A DEFA spokesman said the department was continuing to manage the site and would replace dead trees each year until 2026.

"The Department is currently weeding the woodland to keep the competing vegetation under control, surveying for next year's replacements and deciding which species will have the greatest chance of establishment," he added.

He also confirmed the first tree planted by the then chief minister Howard Quayle had been vandalised and would be replaced in the autumn.

The 45 hectare (111 acre) woodland is part of the government's strategy to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.