Alnus cordata (Italian Alder)

Alnus cordata

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£2.02 Per Plant £1.68 Per Plant

Our Italian Alder grows well in especially waterlogged or poor-quality soils and is our best Alder for chalky or drier areas. From April to December you’ll be treated with exceptionally rich glossy leaves, whilst it also produces long slender catkins similar to some conifer cones which disperse seeds that leave blackened cones on the tree for up to a year. You’re guaranteed rapid growth even in very unfavourable circumstances

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Sizes & Prices

Order now for delivery in 3-4 working days. Order on or before the 15th December to guarantee you receive your plants before Christmas. All orders placed after 15h December will be delivered from the 12th January onwards. Once you have received your RHS Bare Root they should be planted within one week (7 days) after delivery.

Grouped product items
Form	Height	Age	Delivery	Plants Per Bundle
Type Bare Root	Height 60-80cm	Age 2 Years (1＋1)	Delivery 3-4 Days	Plants Per Bundle 25	1+ £60.90 £50.75 (£2.03 Per Plant) (£2.44 Per Plant)	2+ £57.60 £48.00 (£2.30 Per Plant) (£1.92 Per Plant)	10+ £54.30 £45.25 (£2.17 Per Plant) (£1.81 Per Plant)	20+ £50.40 £42.00 (£2.02 Per Plant) (£1.68 Per Plant)

Description

Our Italian Alder is known to grow well in especially waterlogged or poor-quality soils, and out of all our Alders it’s the best for chalky or drier areas. While growing, we undercut our plants so that the root system grows extra fibrous, to keep hold of particularly loose soil.

Like other Alders it’s able to fix nitrogen from the air, and thanks to colonies of bacteria living on its roots it can release this back into the soil and nourish it. Italian Alder works great as a companion plant to help reclaim areas of degraded soil such as mining spoil heaps or heavily compacted urban sites.

Despite being deciduous, the Italian Alder boasts a very long season in leaf – from April to December you’ll be treated to some exceptionally rich glossy green leaves. Since all our Italian Alder is grown in our iron-rich Herefordshire soil, they produce some of the deepest greens to be seen on any plants around. They also produce long slender catkins similar to some conifer cones, dispersing seeds throughout the winter and leaving blackened cones on the tree for up to a year.

They’re grown in one of our fields at the base of the Malvern Hills down in Herefordshire and are exposed to a wide variety of different weather, so they’re ready for any climate. Since our Italian Alder plants are so tough, you can trim them hard every other year and not have to worry about too much maintenance.

Specification

More Information
SKU	ALNCOR
Weight (kg)	1.110000
EAN	0
Hardiness Rating	H5
Foliage Colour (Main Interest)	Green
Flower Colour	Yellow
Habit	Columnar / Upright
Ultimate Height	12m +
Ultimate Spread	4-8m
Time to Ultimate Height (years)	20-50 years
Rate of Growth (per year)	Average (20-40cm)
Soil Moisture	Moist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
Soil Type	Chalk, Clay, Loam
Soil pH	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Skill Rating	Beginner
Availability	January, February, March, April, November, December
Amount of Sunlight	Full Sun
Weather Exposure	Exposed, Sheltered
Aspect	North-Facing, East-Facing, South-Facing, West-Facing
Other Features	Low Maintenance
Delivery Time	1 Working Day

Planting Advice

Ground Preparation

Plants will not grow where soil contains too little air, insufficient nutrients or where soil moisture is either excessive or insufficient. Pre-planting soil preparation should aim to improve these conditions:

• Loosen the soil generally to eliminate compaction and improve drainage

• Weed the planting area (approx. 30cm each side of the trench)

• Improve soil fertility by using fertiliser, organic matter and lime

• Ideally, assess the need for lime with a soil pH test

• Improving the soil for a wide area (2-3m (6½-10ft) around the plant) is best practice

If soils are waterlogged over winter consider installing drainage, or an alternative is to plant on a slight mound, about 25-30cm (10-12in) high and 1m (39in) in diameter. Excess moisture can kill the finer roots, which become blackened and sour smelling. Wet roots are more susceptible to disease, especially Phytophthora.

How to Plant your Bare Root Plants

• Remove plants from their tightly wrapped bag (some specimen trees specify that the wrapping be left on under the terms of their guarantee).

• Tease out and spread the roots to get an idea of their spread. Dig a planting hole that is no deeper than the roots, but is up to three times the diameter of the root system.

• If the sides or base of the planting hole are compacted, break the soil up with a fork before planting

• With container grown plants, the top layers of compost should be scraped away, and the point where the roots flare out should be near the soil surface.

• Place in the planting hole and refill the planting hole carefully, placing soil between and around all the roots to eliminate air pockets

• When planting it is very important that the plant is not planted too deep, plant at the same level as it was at the nursery.

• There will be a clear indication on the stem of how deep the roots were in the ground, planting any deeper can cause the stem to rot and the plant to fail.

How Much Watering to do Once Planted

For all watering needs, to ensure your plants thrive, take a look at our sister site Water Irrigation. Click here to view our large range of irrigation products, perfect for keeping your plants well watered and thriving.

Weeding Advice

Weeds, lawns and other vegetation intercept water before it reaches the roots of newly planted trees and shrubs. It is best to keep a vegetation-free circle at least 1.2m (4ft) in diameter around the plant for its first three years to help avoid this problem. Keep the circle weed free through hoeing or use of contact or systemic weed killers. Laying mulch over this circle is also helpful, although take care to leave a collar of 10cm (4in) around the woody stems that is free of mulch, to prevent the risk of rotting the tree bark.

Staking your Plant

Where possible trees and shrubs should be staked as soon as they are planted, this is to prevent wind rock, and the movement of the roots. Most plants will take a couple of growing seasons to become fully anchored in the soil. The stakes should be checked regularly and any that are damaged or not fully supporting the plant should be replaced.

Form Advice

Why Buy Bare Root Plants

Bare root plants are the perfect choice when you are creating a hedge on a budget. This method of planting is the most cost and time efficient, allowing us to pass those savings on to you, and significant discounts are available for buying bare root plants in bulk. Grown outdoors in its basic form all year round - No pot, no peat, no heat - our bare root stock comes with the added assurance that it’s acclimatised to British winters, hardy as nature intended. Grown from seed in rich Herefordshire soil all our bare roots plants are available at varying sizes and ages to fit any hedge development.

Bare root plants are lifted to order from November until March when they are dormant to reduce the shock of transplanting them. Bare Root hedging is delivered without soil on the roots. this means that you don't have to pay for the weight of the soil as you would with a Root Balled plant, making them more cost effective. We recommend that all Bare Root hedging plants should be planted as soon as possible as the plant is still alive and the roots need to be kept moist.

If you are unable to immediately plant your bare roots plants, we recommend a number of storage guidelines to ensure they remain healthy out of the ground. Store them in a cool, dry, dark location, making sure they are not exposed to any wind or frost. Do not soak the roots in a bucket of water as they will retain the right amount of moisture needed, you can water them well once they are planted if you are concerned the roots are too dry.

How we Measure Our Bare Root Plants

Our plants are usually measured by height - '30-40cm' means a plant is between 30cm and 40cm high measured from soil level to the top of the plant - the roots are not included in the measurement.

They are then carefully graded by height, batched into bundles of 25 or 10, boxed and dispatched straight to your door within 72 hours of picking to ensure freshness.

(0/1)	1 Year Old - Hardwood cutting taken from a strong, healthy shoot on a mature plant. Cutting is grown outdoors for 1 year to develop a healthy root system.
(1+0)	1 Year Old - 1 year seedling grown at wide spacing. Seedling is undercut (roots are trimmed below the soil) during the growing season to promote a compact and fibrous root system and regulate plant height. This makes it a cheaper specification suitable when planting where weed competition will be less intense, soil is shallow or on exposed windy sites. Give high root to shoot ratio and minimal plant 'check'.
(1+1)	2 Year Old - Our 1 year old seedlings have been grown in seed beds and then lined out for 1 year. They commonly range from 40-60cms or 60-80cms and is often the best choice and the staple norm. Gives robust plant with fibrous and compact roots.
(1u1)	2 Year Old - Our 1 year old seedlings are undercut and grown in situ for 1 further year. The effect of this gives a slimmer, straighter plant.
(1+2)	3 Year Old - Our 1 year old seedlings have been grown in seed beds and then lined out for 2 years. The effect of this gives a stocky, bushier plant.
(2+1)	3 Year Old - 2 year old plant lined out for a further year. Gives stockier, bushier plant.
(1+3)	4 Year Old - 1 year old seedling grown in seed bed then lined out for 3 years. Gives stocky, bushier plant.
(2+2)	4 Year Old - 2 year old plant lined out for 2 further years. Gives stocky, bushier plant.

Planting Distances

Planting your hedging plants at the correct distance is essential for ensuring a great end result. The type of hedge you require will determine the planting style and distance of your plants.

A single row works well in most garden environments, however a double staggered planting design is great for creating a dense hedge to deter intruders or to create a wind break.

There are a number of variables that will decide the planting distance of your hedging plants; how vigorous a plant is, its habit, form and spread will all play a role in the final appearance of your hedge. For example: Bare root Yew should not really be planted any closer than 3 plants per metre due to its vast established spread, whereas a tight Box hedge should be planted with 5 plants in a single row.

Our rough guide of planting distances:

Plant Height	Recommended Planting Density
Up to 100cm	3-5 per metre for a single row
Up to 100cm	5-7 per metre for a double row
100 - 175cm	3 per metre for a single row
100 - 175cm	5 per metre for a double row
175cm +	2 per metre for a single row
175cm +	4 per metre for a double row