Exciting possible purchase

[Luckyeleven]

For a while I've been looking into buying some land for use as a kind of yard, tip site, firewood holding area. But also to plant a crop of trees mainly hardwoods for firewood and some black walnuts (dont laugh I'm told they grow well here in Brittany) this would serve as both an occupation and pleasure as well as providing some very small income come retirement age.

 

So recently a suitable site seems to have emerged in my area, Nearly 2 acres for around 4k after all solicitors fees etc.

 

The only problem is that this site was previously a pine plantation and has been harvested within the last 12 months, the stumps are still in the ground.

 

Is there anything special that I should be aware of on this kind of site? could I simply plant between the stumps?, knowing that they will have rotted out before they pose too much of a problem?

 

Any advice/tips would be welcome.

 

Cheers

[matelot]

That's good value!

 

Apart from the obvious nuisances like deer and squirrel you should be aware of pine weevil. After a softwood plantation is harvested the pine weevil population explodes as it has so much brash to feed on. When you plant trees the weevils can attack the saplings and ring bark them

 

You can buy saplings that have been treated to protect against the pine weevils.

 

Without seeing the site I'd be happy planting amongst the stumps. The advantage of a recently felled site is that there is little competing vegetation, the disadvantage is that walking in brash is difficult....

[Mark J]

That's good value!

 

Apart from the obvious nuisances like deer and squirrel you should be aware of pine weevil. After a softwood plantation is harvested the pine weevil population explodes as it has so much brash to feed on. When you plant trees the weevils can attack the saplings and ring bark them

 

You can buy saplings that have been treated to protect against the pine weevils.

 

Without seeing the site I'd be happy planting amongst the stumps. The advantage of a recently felled site is that there is little competing vegetation, the disadvantage is that walking in brash is difficult....

 

How you actually know this stuff is beyond me, but good advice.

[WesD]

😂you two crack me up!

[Rough Hewn]

It's true about the walnuts,

They say buy a field, plant walnuts, when you retire make walnut oil.

(Local Breton saying)

The going rate for agg/field is 20-30 centimes a m2.

About €700-1000 for an acre.

Watch out for geometre costs as the vendor pays the fees not you.

Sounds expensive for what it is.

You can buy a house with an acre for €10k.

Where in Brittany is it?

Rennes-Nantes corridor is shooting up in price still.

 

 

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[Ty Korrigan]

You might be able to still find properties with land for a few grand but unless you have a decent centre of population nearby, the demographics won't support a decent French client based tree business and Brits are too thin on the ground to make much of a living from them.

Especially as out West there are several Brits trading as tree surgeons, nice orange t'shirts, no tickets and snapping up the few Brit clients on prices no true Arb can sustainably match.

Ty

[Luckyeleven]

The price is pretty reasonable IMO, I have lived here full time for nearly 3 years so I have a fair idea of the local market.

its in Chateauneuf du Faou (Finistère), Access is good and nice and secluded.

Its right off a trunk road too which will have pushed the price up a bit.

All the brash has been dealt with I think which basically leaves a grass field with a stump every 2 metres.

Any forestry style problems I have overlooked?

[Luckyeleven]

Watch out for geometre costs as the vendor pays the fees not you.

 

Le bornage n'est pas obligatoire, sauf si un voisin le demande.

[Rough Hewn]

I bought 3 acres in 2007, got stung €1200 for geometre.

However ask yer local mairie about "haie et bocage" planting.

I got 1200 mixed hardwood saplings and 18 round ballers of hay from them to plant around land. They also had a small woodland tree thing.

Mairies nearly always helpful.

 

 

 

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[Luckyeleven]

Cheers for the advice Rough hewn!