Coppice trees

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Coppice trees
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sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 14 5:31 pm Post subject:
Here you go Ten years in October.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 14 5:38 pm Post subject:
Snap.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 14 5:53 pm Post subject:
Some of our alder trees today. They're about 20 years old and ready to start coppicing.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 14 7:01 pm Post subject:
We use larch, it is a bit spitty though.

crofter

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 2252

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 14 9:08 pm Post subject:

Lloyd wrote:

https://www.downsizer.net/Articles/Make_your_own/A_failed_first_attempt_at_making_charcoal/

We created airflow holes in the barrel base, using buckshot cartridges as we had no suitable tools in the wood!!

Excellent!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 14 10:26 pm Post subject:

There is a risk of Chelara ash die back particularly in the east of the country. Possibly not the best thing to plant at present. As far as coppicing is concerned, it is a matter of opinion. I spoke to someone from the Forestry Commission about this, and her opinion, having studied the subject deeply, is that once the regrowth reaches 10 years old it is no more susceptible to the disease than an uncoppiced tree. If your ash is likely to die because of other problems like but rot, then best to coppice or you will definitely lose the tree.

I would suggest looking to see which trees are growing well where you are. Beech doesn't always coppice well; it is often grown as pollards instead. Hazel will coppice very easily but will take perhaps 15 years to get to firewood size. Sycamore and field maple both coppice well and will make reasonable firewood. Sweet chestnut will coppice easily and us usually run on something like a 20 year cycle the same as ash, but it only burns well if it is well seasoned.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Sat Aug 02, 14 4:24 pm Post subject:
I tend to think the other way. The more ash planted now the better. More ash equals more chance of finding those resistant seedlings. Just don't buy in plants from god knows where, collect local seed. If they die they can always be replaced with something else.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Sat Aug 02, 14 5:22 pm Post subject:

Tavascarow wrote:

I tend to think the other way.
The more ash planted now the better.
More ash equals more chance of finding those resistant seedlings.
Just don't buy in plants from god knows where, collect local seed.
If they die they can always be replaced with something else.

I'm with you there, everything I've heard says ash is very diverse so who know your seedlings might contain 1 or 2 resistant trees

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 14 7:15 am Post subject:

Ash is very susceptible to ash die back in its early years, so not really sure now is the time to be planting new seedlings. Having said that, the seedlings come up like grass in some places in our wood and we are hoping at least some of them will be resistant. An alternative might be to wait until some resistant seedling come onto the market from British grown seed, or until a method of protection is developed. Both are currently underway.

Walking round the wood yesterday, I came across an ash tree that has butt rot; fairly common on our soil, and there was a hornets nest in the bottom. That is the second hornets nest we have found in the last couple of weeks. Rather pleased about it, although it does mean we can't do anything with either tree until late winter when the hornets have finished with them.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 14 7:19 am Post subject:
Lloyd, I am not surprised your charcoal experiment didn't work. The best way is to put the wood into the container then free burn until the smoke starts to clear a bit. Then put the lid on and restrict the air flow. Don't open up and add more wood. When the smoke goes more blueish it is done, so shut down completely. We haven't done much with oil drums, but that is a rough idea for you.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Aug 04, 14 8:00 am Post subject:

Thank you all. Ash is such a good front runner, there doesn't seem to be a clear second place. I'd love sweet chestnut, but have heard it doesn't do well locally. I know willow is fast growing, but I feel that the payoff in fast burning is not worth the extra handling of volume (my workforce consists of me) there may be ash locally, of course. Can I legally dig up seedlings? I don't know the area very well, yet.

I will probably stick with tradition and grow hazel coppice with oak standards. I like hazel, and I know there is some onsite already as well as a couple of huge hoarse chestnuts. With some sweet chestnuts to see how they go.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Tue Aug 05, 14 6:30 am Post subject:

Sweet chestnut likes acid soil WW. It will grow on a clay cap over chalk, but just won't take to chalk well. There have been a few planted in the woodland complex we are at the end of, and we wait to see whether the clay is thick enough.

Hazel is good on more alkaline soils, but to get it to burning size you need to leave it perhaps 20 years, as with most trees. If you already have some hazel, you can get more by layering to either expand the area or to produce more seedlings to replant. Burying the nuts also produces seedlings quite readily.

I think you can dig up seedlings, but you would need the land owners permission.

dan1

Joined: 23 Jun 2010
Posts: 102
Location: Bristolish

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 14 11:03 am Post subject:
Poplar doesnt seem to be very poplar as a firewood (see what I did there!), But it grows quick and copices well with easy straight chop-uppable poles. Ive taken down a couple of big trees (black poplar) and then harvested the coppice + it burns fine if seasoned.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 14 7:10 am Post subject:
I really hope you haven't cut any black poplar if you live in the UK Dan, as it is one of the rarest trees and doesn't seem to be reproducing. Poplar can be useful for firewood, but it must be fully seasoned as it is full of water and sap when green.

dan1

Joined: 23 Jun 2010
Posts: 102
Location: Bristolish

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 14 7:49 am Post subject:
I think, after less half-arsed research, actually they're Hybrid poplar, planted by my predecessors. They do grow very fast, mind

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