Felling licence required?

[Daniël Bos]

It's perhaps worth noting that in the eyes of the law, intentionally killing a tree also counts as felling, whether you cut it down or not...

This means you could nip in, ringbark 5CuM worth of tree each quarter -without needing a felling licence- going in in the fourth quarter to fell and process the lot.

This also has the advantage of drying the timber whilst standing (it dries very quickly this way, as the leaves suck out any moisture they can) but perhaps in this situation it's a moot point

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Daniël Bos said:

It's perhaps worth noting that in the eyes of the law, intentionally killing a tree also counts as felling, whether you cut it down or not...

This means you could nip in, ringbark 5CuM worth of tree each quarter -without needing a felling licence- going in in the fourth quarter to fell and process the lot.

This also has the advantage of drying the timber whilst standing (it dries very quickly this way, as the leaves suck out any moisture they can) but perhaps in this situation it's a moot point

Not in my experience as you would need to sever the sapwood, just cutting the bark and cambium stops the roots being fed but not the sap flow for quite a while.

[Gary Prentice]

What about applying ecoplugs to standing trees, instead of ring barking?

[Daniël Bos]

3 hours ago, openspaceman said:

Not in my experience as you would need to sever the sapwood, just cutting the bark and cambium stops the roots being fed but not the sap flow for quite a while.

Sure, the cut needs to be deep enough. A gentle scratching won't do much!

I've done this quite succesfully before though. But in a private wood where the danger of the severely damaged trees didn't pose a serious risk to anyone and not on trees at the edge. Had one or two snap off in a storm but that was ok.

I think it is also used for milling species like plane, where the sap can stain the milled wood otherwise. Either felling the trees in full leaf but not snedding them or ringing them deeply without felling them has the same effect.

 

In the op's case it doesn't matter that much though?

[openspaceman]

58 minutes ago, Gary Prentice said:

What about applying ecoplugs to standing trees, instead of ring barking?

Gary has anyone ever suggested you might be a trouble maker?

[openspaceman]

4 minutes ago, Daniël Bos said:

Sure, the cut needs to be deep enough. A gentle scratching won't do much!

I've done this quite succesfully before though.

I've done it on pines in heathland restitution but  whilst the tree dies it takes longer than expected. I have also posted a picture of one where the tree carried on living because of root grafts with neighbours.

 

Sour felling works though and now the trees will be actively transpiring.

[Gary Prentice]

11 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Gary has anyone ever suggested you might be a trouble maker?

All the time....

[Chris at eden]

5 hours ago, openspaceman said:

Yes as I said, and from experience, FC measure any bits of the tree over 8cms including branchwood.

The forestry officer around by me says its only the trunk as its a 'felling' licence.  He doesn't count the branches.  I suppose because topping and lopping is exempt.