Some advise about coppice species please

[john k]

We're letting our ash regenerate throughout our woodland wherever it wants and if 2% survive that's not great, but also fine.

 

That's fair enough, but a bit different from deliberately planting it. Even assuming you could buy the saplings. Which I'm pretty sure you can't.

 

Looking at the Chalara map, if you did want to plant ash then West Wales would be one of the better places to try it. It would be on borrowed time, but you might get some firewood out of it first.

[Paul in the woods]

I've got some young (25 year old) mixed woodland, in NW Devon so similarish climate.

 

I agree with the above re the oaks, most of mine are small compared to other trees. The ones that have done well are more open.

 

Alder has done very well, I think mines common alder and regrows well when coppiced. It has the benefit of deer not liking it. Firewood is ok but fast burning.

 

Ash has done very well but I wouldn't buy in plants now due to disease. If you can get hold of local seed it might be worth sowing a patch and not thinning, if Chalara does strike you may be able to select resistant ones. A bit of a gamble on a small plot.

 

I don't have sycamore although it does well around here, but is loved by grey squirrels, even when young.

 

I've added limes and they have established well. Goat willow is everywhere and the wood seems to burn ok when seasoned, easy to take cuttings and plant rows for instant cover. Again loved by deer which fray it and eat it.

[gooseflight]

I would drop the sweet chestnut for, say, hazel. SC unlikely to thrive with you.

[john k]

I definitely wouldn't plant hazel for firewood, which is the priority here.

 

Even if the OP has a use for hazel products the quality in a mixed coppice is going to be poor and rotation length will be out of sync with the other species.

[spandit]

I thought goat willow was one of the few that didn't take well from cuttings? Common osier or grey willow do. The latter is my predominant weed tree here, although that may be giving undue favouritism to the thousands of oaks that pop up everywhere too

[Paul in the woods]

I thought goat willow was one of the few that didn't take well from cuttings? Common osier or grey willow do. The latter is my predominant weed tree here, although that may be giving undue favouritism to the thousands of oaks that pop up everywhere too

 

Interesting as I had wondered in the past if the trees are grey willow but they look closer to goat willow to me. A quick google does show some people don't think goat willow will root but the RHS says it does. To complicate matters more grey and goat willow will hybridise.

 

Anyway, worth a go if you have some free material that seems to be spreading.

[Paul in the woods]

I definitely wouldn't plant hazel for firewood, which is the priority here.

 

Even if the OP has a use for hazel products the quality in a mixed coppice is going to be poor and rotation length will be out of sync with the other species.

 

I almost suggested hazel as it makes a good firewood but agree, in a small coppice it'll be too slow to produce decent sized wood and will get shaded out by other trees.

[john k]

A quick google does show some people don't think goat willow will root but the RHS says it does.

 

I don't know if it roots from cuttings, but I know for sure that fallen goat willow will root where it touches the ground. It makes clearing up old wind blow a right PITA.

[Chubbs]

Ok Treeation, thanks for the tips, Will definitely seek out a local tree officer, had not thought of doing so.

[Chubbs]

Ok thanks Rover, will investigate Robinia