Maybe the UK should plant more....

[Khriss]

🐨   and it will be your fault !!   😁 K

 

( furry fvvkers) 

[Mr. Ed]

Fascinating conversation BJ & RH.
I see no discussion of conifer harvesting practice - clearfell versus continuous cover. As you know BJ the sight of apocalyptic clearfell sites is one of the reasons for the increasing hostility to conifer plantations. I suspect you’ll say that the costs of CCF management are unsustainable, to which I’d say that is an example of short-termism - just the sort of behaviour that leads to quarterly corporate targets rather than long term plans. I found the life of Talis Kalnar inspiring as an example of combining commerce and environmental concerns, and I’ve been running (or trying to run) an old family firm (in a completely different field) in that sort of way, finding the sweet spot between the two demands. 
You mentioned German beech sales - I have no idea why so many things are so expensive here! 
Also, BJ, many of your points are predicated on the assumption that importing softwood is wrong. Are you sure that’s the case? Why not import spruce from areas where it belongs? Britain has been importing timber from 

the Baltic since the 18th century. 

To make a ludicrous comparison - we could cultivate our own citrus if we built

and heated miles of greenhouses. 
Sorry for butting in - I’m an interested outsider trying to learn about this world. 
 

[doobin]

BJ. snigger 😂

[Khriss]

A lack of guidance and forward planning ( which the EU could have led the way in - but lets not mention that  now  😆 ) which with greater climate awareness might push it our way ( before I'm dead preferably)  k

[Khriss]

7 minutes ago, Mr. Ed said:

Fascinating conversation BJ & RH.
I see no discussion of conifer harvesting practice - clearfell versus continuous cover. As you know BJ the sight of apocalyptic clearfell sites is one of the reasons for the increasing hostility to conifer plantations. I suspect you’ll say that the costs of CCF management are unsustainable, to which I’d say that is an example of short-termism - just the sort of behaviour that leads to quarterly corporate targets rather than long term plans. I found the life of Talis Kalnar inspiring as an example of combining commerce and environmental concerns, and I’ve been running (or trying to run) an old family firm (in a completely different field) in that sort of way, finding the sweet spot between the two demands. 
You mentioned German beech sales - I have no idea why so many things are so expensive here! 
Also, BJ, many of your points are predicated on the assumption that importing softwood is wrong. Are you sure that’s the case? Why not import spruce from areas where it belongs? Britain has been importing timber from 

the Baltic since the 18th century. 

To make a ludicrous comparison - we could cultivate our own citrus if we built

and heated miles of greenhouses. 
Sorry for butting in - I’m an interested outsider trying to learn about this world. 
 

They used to have miles n miles of greenhouses heated by Drax in Yorkshire for just that. Gone now 🙄  ( went to school right next door *coff coff* ) k

[David Cropper]

9 minutes ago, doobin said:

BJ. snigger 😂

I hope you're not trying for a bit of levity in this very, very serious topic, young man. I've just had a horrible image of the said "BJ" in the throes of ectasty. Snigger.

[Khriss]

Corporal Cropper  !! Eyes Front !   😁 K

[Mr. Ed]

40 minutes ago, doobin said:

BJ. snigger 😂

Whoops! Sorry John.  Ahem. 

[Big J]

42 minutes ago, Mr. Ed said:

Fascinating conversation BJ & RH.
I see no discussion of conifer harvesting practice - clearfell versus continuous cover. As you know BJ the sight of apocalyptic clearfell sites is one of the reasons for the increasing hostility to conifer plantations. I suspect you’ll say that the costs of CCF management are unsustainable, to which I’d say that is an example of short-termism - just the sort of behaviour that leads to quarterly corporate targets rather than long term plans. I found the life of Talis Kalnar inspiring as an example of combining commerce and environmental concerns, and I’ve been running (or trying to run) an old family firm (in a completely different field) in that sort of way, finding the sweet spot between the two demands. 
You mentioned German beech sales - I have no idea why so many things are so expensive here! 
Also, BJ, many of your points are predicated on the assumption that importing softwood is wrong. Are you sure that’s the case? Why not import spruce from areas where it belongs? Britain has been importing timber from 

the Baltic since the 18th century. 

To make a ludicrous comparison - we could cultivate our own citrus if we built

and heated miles of greenhouses. 
Sorry for butting in - I’m an interested outsider trying to learn about this world. 
 

 

Very interesting points, and I'm entirely in favour of continuous cover, if it's possible. I do do clearfells, but I don't like them. The issue is that the management regime of a woodland needs to be focused on CCF from the outset. You can't decide halfway through a cycle to then switch to CCF and expect it to stay standing.

 

Fundamentally, trees grow best when in a micro-climate, sheltered from prevailing weather. CCF allows for new planting/regeneration to get it's best possible start, but at present the entire forestry model in the UK is plant > thin > thin > clearfell. 

 

As regards eucalyptus, CCF is very doable, but you're working on a much shorter timescale. Given that you can take nitens from planting to final crop in 12 years, intervention can be as often as every 2 years. Coup felling blocks and replanting, whilst still taking advantage of the micro climate is the way I'd do it. I can go into more detail....

[David Cropper]

44 minutes ago, Khriss said:

Corporal Cropper  !! Eyes Front !   😁 K

I've actually poked my eyes out at the thought of it. I am using the medium of Braille to respond.