Retirement plans, perhaps to include planting a "forest"

[difflock]

We got an 8 acre field, was improved pasture 20 year ago when we bought the place, after the peat/turf had been previously exausted, but since neglected, dead flat, surrounded on all 4 sides by deep sheaughs, so reasonably drained.

Fences are now non existant.

So either a fair capital investment to re-fence and put back into agric use.

Or

Do I plant it out in trees, grant aided hopefully?

To harvest for firewood, but most important to form a patch of broadleaved woodland for the future generations.

IF

I were planting trees, which specis, on shallow peat over heavy dour clay.

Thoughts please

 

Or do I go googly eyed over Dexter cattle instead.

but emotionally better at harvesting trees than livestock:001_rolleyes:.

[roys]

I have a small woods which were part of my retirement plan, mostly birch, willow,sycamore and some ash, often thought about getting some sheep but dismissed the idea due to how tying livestock are. We are in the fortunate position that if we want to go away for 2 or 3 days or even weeks, it is easy just turn the key and away we go. Wouldn't be able to do that as easy if we had livestock.

Good luck in retirement.

[Paul in the woods]

Would you not need to deer fence it to establish woodland? Even if you just used tubes wouldn't the protection cost more than simply fencing for livestock?

 

As for species, what's growing well locally?

[sasha.p]

We have woodland and we have livestock biggest problem we get are the squirrels they are a nuisance .

 

 

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[SbTVF]

We got an 8 acre field, was improved pasture 20 year ago when we bought the place, after the peat/turf had been previously exausted, but since neglected, dead flat, surrounded on all 4 sides by deep sheaughs, so reasonably drained.

 

Fences are now non existant.

 

So either a fair capital investment to re-fence and put back into agric use.

 

Or

 

Do I plant it out in trees, grant aided hopefully?

 

To harvest for firewood, but most important to form a patch of broadleaved woodland for the future generations.

 

IF

 

I were planting trees, which specis, on shallow peat over heavy dour clay.

 

Thoughts please

 

 

 

Or do I go googly eyed over Dexter cattle instead.

 

but emotionally better at harvesting trees than livestock:001_rolleyes:.

 

 

 

If you want to be able to get grants you need to be planting 3 hectares minimum to take advantage. As far as I'm aware anyway. Might be others available I've not seen.

 

 

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[spandit]

Woodland Trust MOREWoods will apply - it's how I planted my trees. Gives you a large (60%) discount on trees and tubes and they should do a site visit which will help you choose species. You could still plant a large block of woodland and have enough space left for grazing - 8 acres is a good size.

 

If you're wanting quick firewood then willow, birch and poplar are worth looking at. Willow in particular is difficult to stop growing and you may be able to source some free cuttings. I find the birch here self seeds everywhere so didn't deliberately plant any.

[difflock]

I am Puzzled since 8 acres > 3 hectares?

 

Since we already got prob 15 acres of self seeded birch, with occassional more recent Oak and a few Beech coming on.

AND I regard willow as a weed & Poplar are a short lived specis.

 

not interested in those 3 suggestions.

 

but, yes sensibally I will ask the Woodland trust for suggestions.

[Stubby]

What about Black Locust ? Think its a Robinia species . Good fire wood and fast growing I have heard .

[sandspider]

Black / false locust is Robinia pseudoacacia.

 

I've got a load in pots at the moment, which will be going out in to my paddock soon for eventual firewood coppice. Certainly seems to be fast growing, and is an attractive tree. Should also be reasonably OK if temperatures increase in future. But it is non native and spikey, and apparently suckers quite vigorously.

[difflock]

Ah want proper trees, Beech like, Ash like, Oak like, Lime like, Elm like, more interested in what it will look like in 100 years, than short-term firewood potential.

I already got 15 to 20 acres of Lodgepole and Sitka for firewood.

cheers

mth