Purchasing 25 acre oak stand in France

[JonnoR]

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Edited February 16, 2019 by JonnoR
Misquoted

[Dan Maynard]

Definitely old oak coppice stools in our local wood, haven't any pictures but am in there next Sunday.

[JonnoR]

2 hours ago, Stere said:

Oak is often pollarded I think not sure about coppicing oak.

 

Anyway the deer would eat the regrowth.

 

 

Terraces suggest area most likely being a chesnut orchard historically.

 

 

 

That's a really good observation - I've seen that sort of layout in France before, a little further south I seem to remember.  The area where I am buying is famous for providing oak barrels for the Bordeaux wine industry, so I wonder if the oaks were planted to support that activity, which might explain the absence of coppice/pollarding.

Cheers,

Jonno

Edited February 16, 2019 by JonnoR

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, JonnoR said:

Good point, I'll avoid in that case.  I'll look about for damp tolerant alternative which are less of a pain the hoop to deal with!

Cheers,

Jonno

I did suggest Alder ?

[JonnoR]

6 minutes ago, Stubby said:

I did suggest Alder ?

Hi Stubby- yes, sorry, that's a good shout, thanks.  I suppose much of this will be determined by the quality of tree nurseries in the area and what they stock.

 

Would you say that getting in to the forest at the end of Feb is kind of too late to be doing much beyond survey and getting to know the place in general?  Would you suggest that I source next year's lumber from elsewhere and get to work in my own land next winter?

 

Cheers,

Jon

 

[dumper]

I would live with it for a year observe and then decide  then chose the plan to follow your neighbors may have some good local knowledge you can benefit from after all it is only 365 days to wait don’t be impatient 

 

[Rough Hewn]

Oak was coppiced for the bark tannins to use in the leather industry.
Since synthetic treatment the industry died.
14" oak is very young maybe 30-50 years and won't contain much valuable heartwood.
Best after 100-150 years.
To make a living,
Learn forestry,milling and carpentry build a workshop
make fences and furniture.
With selective felling this would be a job you could pass on to generations to come.
[emoji106]

[Mick Dempsey]

Lots of wood cutting going on here, now is good for cutting.

 

Be wary of involving neighbours, you may find that someone will come in, extract the best stuff, smash the rest to pieces and wave as they drive off.

 

I’ve seen it happen.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Mick Dempsey

[steve collins]

5 hours ago, Stere said:

Any pictures or infos of oak stools regrowth? Iv'e read that they can be coppiced but never seen any done, or any oak coppice stools, although the acient oaks all are supposedely pollarded/or coppiced trees which allows them too reach an older age than a un-pollarded tree.

 

 

il try to remember to take some photos when back near where i cut the coppice next week, there are simple different ways to prevent deer browsing the shoots 

[JonnoR]

Many thanks to all of you who replied.  I do like the idea of managing the wood for the long term, particularly as my main interest is deer and firewood harvesting (and the mushroom harvest is supposed to be good round these parts).  The people I am buying from cut down about a hectare of wood to convert in to paddock but I hope to get that turned in to a mixed orchard.

 

Beyond interests in wildlife I have been carving bowls and spoons for years so I would like to start including some beech, apple and other trees suitable for that.  I'm more than happy to leave it be, so long as thinning or other maintenance tasks will keep me in seasoned lumber.