How grower-gardener collaboration is driving innovation in the tree sector - with Kevin Martin of Kew and Adam Dunnett of Hillier

This is the second special podcast with an arboriculture focus produced as part of ArbWeek, HortWeek's deep dive into all things arb held from 24 - 30 November.

• Listen to Jeremy Barrell on how 'Failing clients deserve failing trees', plus tree growing, procurement, planting and establishment

This week's guests bring their distinct perspectives on the arb sector - but also bring a holistic perspective having worked together for many years on fascinating and crucial research projects.

Kevin Martin, head of tree collections at RBG Kew and Adam Dunnett, production and amenity director for Hillier Nurseries are thought leaders in their fields and bring fascinating insights and forthright opinions to their discussion with Rachael Forsyth.

They discuss tree planting and establishment, ground breaking research with "remarkable" results that is transforming tree selection and understanding of how to grow and in particular, water, trees.

Skip to...

00:00:49 How Kevin and Adam began their careers in horticulture

00:05:45 Kevin Martin on his research into resiliant trees sourced from around the world

00:09:53 Trees we should be planting to weather the future

00:14:40 Hillier's 'Streetwise' range of trees for urban environments

00:17.39 Peat-free growing and trees

00:20:48 Groundbreaking research into irrigation for trees at Hillier

00:30:13 The importance of grants, continuity in Government support and business certainty

00:40:39 Adam Dunnett on seeing changes in the school curriculum making a difference to hort

00:50:40 The latest on Resistor elms

00:52:43 Kevin and Adam's 'dream' pieces of research topics

On the topic of encouraging young people into horticulture, Adam Dunnett relates a "chink of light" following a visit to a secondary school where as part of their work on the "2050 project" they are looking at what trees will be thriving in 25 year's time.

"That's just one school, but actually that could be really quite transformational if that's happening in other schools!"

Kevin says: "Horticulture and growing plants is an applied science, and it's one fo the most important applied sciences we do and it's so overlooked...it's always been seen as suitable for someone who's not academic, and that's not the case.

"We need some of the brightest people to solve some of the biggest questions...we need to work on that narrative."

In this episode the Victorians get a couple of name-checks and we also get some top tips on which tree to go to to get unbeatable conkers.

Podcast presenter: Rachael Forsyth

Podcast producer: Christina Taylor

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