Between October 1976 and September 1977, a critical appraisal was conducted by the Forestry Commission Research and Development Division into the problems of the establishment and management of trees and other woody plants on regraded colliery spoil heaps. Further supporting evidence has since been collected. This report summarises the evidence accumulated on tree growth on regraded colliery spoil heaps. For the benefit of workers unfamiliar with colliery wastes special attention is paid to the problems influencing early tree performance on regraded spoil heaps and to the cultural methods used to establish trees on reclaimed land. Species choice and succession, and factors affecting the long-term maintenance of woodland areas on regraded spoil heaps, are briefly discussed. Guidance on aspects of tree establishment is included for the benefit of foresters and others directly concerned with the re-vegetation of reclaimed derelict land.

This paper also contains a pullout supplement which provides planting details for several regraded spoil heap sites.