National Tree Week: Willughby and Ray's Experiment on the Best Method to Grow Oak Trees

Francis Willughby and John Ray decided to undertake an experiment at Middleton Hall to determine whether oak trees would grow more successfully if they were grown directly from an acorn planted in the desired location instead of being moved as a sapling to the desired location. It is notoriously difficult to successfully replant an oak tree as a sapling and the basis for their theory was that they had observed that oak trees grew better where the acorns had fallen to the ground naturally.

They planted a mixture of saplings and acorns in avenues in various places in the grounds of Middleton Hall. Their conclusion was that it was better to grow the oak from the acorn, which should therefore be planted wherever it was desired for there to be a fully grown oak tree standing. They determined that the reason why this method was better was because damage always occurred to the tap root when the sapling was moved and this damage was the cause of the sapling failure in every case.

Oak tree avenue adjacent to Entrance Drive at Middleton Hall.

It is uncertain where the tree avenues of this experiment were planted. Tree avenues have survived at Middleton, but most of them relate to the Georgian landscaping design. However, there is a small part remaining of one avenue that heads to the south-east of Middleton Hall that does not correspond with any later landscaping or route. This avenue is interesting because the species in this avenue are oak trees that are Continental European, not English, in origin. Moreover, it is known that Willughby and Ray brought many acorns back to England from their European Tour. In 1994, two very old oaks in this avenue were surveyed and identified as a Hungarian Oak (Quercus frainetto) and an Austrian Oak (Quercus cerris).

One of the Continental European species of oak tree in the remains of the old oak tree avenue to the south-east of Middleton Hall, 2015. Photograph taken by Debbie Jordan.

Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.

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