Long term plan

[bouncymat]

hi
not sure if this is the right place to put this but anyway...

I'm thinking about planting some trees, i thought some which could be left to get nice and big and some which could be coppiced for smaller poles (broomstickish size).
not got the space for a woods they will probably have to be in a double or treble line.

obviously i know that i probably wont be around when the larger trees are harvested but like i said this is a long term plan!

not done alot of research yet so might be completely impossible which is why i thought id see what other people thought.

also - any idea about tree species so far i have got Eucalyptus and Oak for the coppicing.

any thoughts?
mat

 

[TheTiddles]

Oak for the coppicing.

any thoughts?
mat

You're optimistic about your life expectancy!

Aidan

 

[wizer]

Welcome Mat

It's not clear what you actually want to do with the trees?

 

[Karl]

Oak for the coppicing.

any thoughts?
mat

You're optimistic about your life expectancy!

Aidan

Not if he goes for Eucalyptus - that stuff grows like wildfire. There is one planted a few doors down from us and it is nearly twice as tall as their house. The house was only built 13 years ago.

 

[MikeG.]

I would always go for native species. I suggest hazel and willow for coppicing, as has been the tradition for centuries.

Eucalypts are a real foreigner here, and thus have no great wildlife value.

As an aside, I heard story regarding a Cambridge College. They built a massive hall some 600 years ago, using huge oak beams for the roof. When a structural engineer was brought in to report on the state of the building he said that these huge beams would need replacing, and that such sizes of oak were no longer available.......they would have to use laminated timber instead.

The building manager respectfully pointed out of the window at some trees, and told him that the college had been managing the growth of those old oaks for 600 years so that they could be used as the replacements!

Imagine having that sort of foresight these days!!

Mike

 

[Quinness]

Depending on what you're going to do with it and of course the soil, the best species for coppicing are hazel, ash, hornbeam, and beech I've tried willow too, works fine. They will be ready to harvest on an 8 - 10yr rotation and should be spaced about 2m apart when planting to allow a good spread when the multiple stems sprout. Oak was mentioned earlier but Oak mainly holds it's leaf buds in the top of the stem, which lends it to pollarding while the other species hold the leaf buds at the base of the stem which lends them to coppicing and a short term realistic harvest from your woodland.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, Mat
This might interest you.

http://www.treesbypost.com/?gclid=CLOHl ... EAodhGJBjg


Koolwabbit

 

[user 5053]

You could also plant alder, birch, yew, holly, rowan, sycamore, scots pine, thorn and many more. Have most of these in my little wood and planted a yew last yer and have another one to plant soon. Maybe the odd apple would also do. Good luck.

 

[Alan Smith]

Can't believe nobody has mentioned Sweet chestnut, practically the only coppiced species that has any major commercial value these days unless you are talking biomass fuel.

 

[wizer]

what is coppiced chestnut used for then?

 

[Toscageoff]

Wizer

Greetings

Kent is one of the most prolific areas in the UK for chestnut coppicing

The coppicing is mostly used for fencing - especially pailings

 

[Jake]

Historically, it was also used for hop-poles, but there are sadly few hop-fields left.