woodlandheritage.org

Acorn Planting Products is the longest running tree shelter manufacturer in the UK, with an established reputation for producing good quality, innovative tree protection products made from almost 100% recycled materials. Our aim is to manufacture and supply products that provide your newly planted trees with the best improvements in survival and growth rates, whilst blending in with their surrounding environment and using the most environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques. We take our environmental responsibility very seriously, as we are supplying products to be used in a natural setting, and as well as using almost 100% recycled plastics, we also run on green electricity, recycle all water used during the manufacturing process, operate a minimal waste policy and have set up a scheme to enable customers to recycle their old treeshelters.

Although it is now widely accepted that treeshelters are invaluable; both for providing protection from browsing mammals and for creating a beneficial microclimate to enhance the tree’s growth, this was still a new concept when Acorn was founded in 1981. Dr Richard Towler, a professional forester, and the company’s founder, had the vision to appreciate the significant benefits that these new shelters could bring to the forestry and landscaping industries and so set about designing and manufacturing the UK’s first nested tree shelters. These proved to be very successful, and following various design changes and improvements, led to the launch of our current Shelterguard range in 1995.

Our Shelterguard material uniquely combines a polythene film with recycled plastic netting, which provides a beneficial micro-climate whilst giving very good light transmission. This discourages the tree from bolting for the top of the tube and becoming top heavy, and also enables a clear view of the growing plant, which is especially useful in taller shelters. After approximately five years when the film breaks down, a free draining netting guard is left to help harden off the bark in preparation for the guard splitting and falling off the tree. This design also blends in very well with its surrounding environment and is made from almost 100% recycled plastics. We were keen to avoid a one size fits all approach with our tree shelter range, and have subsequently introduced a number of different variations on the Shelterguard material: micro-perforated Shelterguard has been developed for beech, high exposure for exposed sites, open mesh Treeguard for evergreens and, more recently, a fully biodegradable guard for customers concerned about leaving old guards insitu.

Our range has grown over the years to include spiral shelters, tree shelters and guards, netting rolls, deer fence, tree ties, mulching fabrics and pegs, vole guards, strimmer guards, bamboo canes and timber stakes, all available direct from our factory. We have always managed to keep our prices competitive by supplying direct and pride our selves on the speed with which we can dispatch orders. Our company policy of listening to our customers and responding to their feedback has helped us to keep evolving and ensured that we maintain our position as a UK market leader in quality tree protection products.

www.acorn-p-p.co.uk

Gallery of a selection of Acorn products in the field

(click on them for a slideshow)