Poplar propagates, Paulownia & Slugs | Remedies

Quite a few of the Paulownia don’t have any new shoots, while others are growing nicely. The only reason I can see, is that slugs are devouring the new growth on some of the trees.
Time for action 😉
🕔
00:00 Spring
00:54 Moving the poplar out of the poly tunnels
02:03 Slug damage and the beer trap remedy
03:40 Slugs on the Paulownia, removal by hand
05:42 Not all the Paulownia are effected yet 🙂
05:53 Clearing the vegetation
07:08 Salt solution
04:32 Large logistics companies adopting EV’s
06:36 EV’s are cheaper
07:31 Thanks a mil and good luck 🍀
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Thanks a mil for taking the time ⏱️
Good luck 🍀

[@evojigger]

My poplars are in almost full leaf too, their eagerness to come out so early has hampered them a couple of times in the last few years from late frosts though, in the midlands UK.

[@Craig-MItchell]

The Arbora are particularly fast !
They've been in the poly tunnels and last year they got too hot in there and I lost most of them, hence taking them out a bit early.
Though my feeling is that winter is past and it will be a warm year ☀️
Thanks for taking the time Evojigger, much appreciated 👍🏻
🍀

[@andrewk2338]

You need to make a technical cut of the paulownia and have no regrets; it is a misconception that if you leave the previous trunk, the result will be better. Wherever there was a technical cut of paulownia, paulownia grew three times faster into one trunk.

[@Craig-MItchell]

Thanks Andrew, from what I've read and watched, the trunk needs to be around 7cm diameter at the base. None of mine are close to that yet 🙁
I'm happy to let them do their own thing for another season 😉
The slug eradication measures have worked and most are growing nicely now 🙂
🤞🏻for better growth this year, so I can experiment with doing a technical cut. Though I'd say that on an exposed north facing slope, they aren't going to grow at the 3m a year I was hoping for; still, if they get to 5m total height and produce lots of beautiful purple flowers, I'll be pleased with that.
Thanks for taking the time, I know you are keen for me to have success 👍🏻
Good luck 🍀 meantime...

[@Julian-Eire]

Would you consider putting a ring of mulch or pine bark chips around the base of your trees to stop grass growth? My technique has been to do so after first digging up the turf and flipping it over before putting the bark on top. It gives me years of protection and helps my trees grow better, plus improves hydration from rain due to less competition from grass and weed roots.

[@Craig-MItchell]

Absolutely Julian
I did use the grass cuttings to the same effect, and will continue to do that in the future. If I could get wood chip or bark at reasonable cost, then that would be better.
Turning a sod is a very effective technique, used in commercial forestry, though for now I'll stick to my small earth augers and battery operated drill.
Thanks for taking the time, much appreciated 👍🏻
🍀