How trees grow – Part 4 (Rates of growth)
On different parts of the tree you can have different speeds of growth. Quite simply trees tend to grow more at the top than at the bottom.
Also they will grow much more in spring than in any other time of the year. They carry on growing in summer but to a slightly slower extent. They still grow in autumn but by then the growth has almost stopped completely to allow for sugar and energy storage . In winter the growth ceases until spring once more.
They can grow slower in harsh areas also such as mountains. Trees in wild areas like this are often much older for their size. For instance a two foot high tree could be as much as 50 years old because of the environment it lives in. Also in the welsh mountains sheep, deer and other animals eating the leaves might slow the growth considerably.
