Maybe the UK should plant more....

[Khriss]

2 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

What’s wrong with forestry....
It’s madness.
It’s about economic benefit for the few not the many.
Most forests in the uk are privately owned.
Lots of big estates.
It’s a tax loophole for inheritance.
You can pass on £millions without paying any tax.
🤷🏽‍♂️

.... Now explain  the Royals  😆  K

[Khriss]

The French have been managing their Oak stands for barrel production since Napolionic times, we just banged in a load of Spruce after WW2 and called it Keilder 😮 K

 

( nice for the Red squirrel n Crossbills tho) 

[Big J]

3 hours ago, Khriss said:

The French have been managing their Oak stands for barrel production since Napolionic times, we just banged in a load of Spruce after WW2 and called it Keilder 😮 K

 

( nice for the Red squirrel n Crossbills tho) 

One of the main reasons that sitka is so popular is our climate. And for numerous reasons. 

 

Firstly, sitka grows quickly here. We don't get much of a winter, so their dormant season is very short indeed. 

 

Secondly, harvesting any timber in the UK is tricky. Due to our sometimes wet summers and almost never frozen winters, we lack the kind of ground integrity that is desirable for harvesting. As such, machinery needs to run on a brash mat and there is no finer mat than a sitka spruce mat. This allows harvesting to take place year round, which is ideal from a supply lines point of view. 

 

The conditions are generally far better for harvesting in France. Hot dry summers and a much better chance of frozen ground in winter.

 

The illustrate the issue, I'm doing a little ash clearfell at the moment fairly close to home. We've had quite a lot of rain - certainly more than the average but not as much as last year. The site is almost completely flat, but I'm going to have to put bandtracks on tomorrow. Even with the little Logbullet forwarder, I'm just spinning out on the clay. There is no structure to the ground, boundless moisture and no brash. I'd much, much rather be doing sitka. This is just grim.

[Khriss]

Think Eggars chip mill is only buyer out of Keilder ( Lord Eggar rather) shame as its got possiblity fr eco tourism along side it ( the  log kabins  up there  are from...... You guessed it..........   Sweden!!)  k

[Big J]

28 minutes ago, Khriss said:

Think Eggars chip mill is only buyer out of Keilder ( Lord Eggar rather) shame as its got possiblity fr eco tourism along side it ( the  log kabins  up there  are from...... You guessed it..........   Sweden!!)  k

The chip price is pretty poor at the moment so as much as possible will be going for higher grade applications (fencing and milling).

 

Keilder is a useful resource. What the hell else would they be using the land for if not farming trees? Sheep? That's about all you can do.

 

As regards tourism, I'd always much rather see a plantation than moorland. 

[Khriss]

1 hour ago, Big J said:

The chip price is pretty poor at the moment so as much as possible will be going for higher grade applications (fencing and milling).

 

Keilder is a useful resource. What the hell else would they be using the land for if not farming trees? Sheep? That's about all you can do.

 

As regards tourism, I'd always much rather see a plantation than moorland. 

..... That would make it an Amusement Park in the Borders  ☺️  ( god knows it needs one,  dreary bastards    ) k

Edited December 22, 2020 by Khriss
Not! You Stere! Sorry 😁

[MattyF]

Think Eggars chip mill is only buyer out of Keilder ( Lord Eggar rather) shame as its got possiblity fr eco tourism along side it ( the  log kabins  up there  are from...... You guessed it..........   Sweden!!)  k

It does not all go to eggar though Khriss, Cramlington takes a lot for biomass and there are plenty of other biomass company’s taking wood out of keilder , we have them on the drive extracting brash for chipping at the moment.
saw mills take a lot of wood out and thinnings go for fencing out of keilder , I do believe it’s one of the only profitable forests of the fc in England.
My father has helped mill and build structures from Douglas and larch from the forest so they do utilise it for local projects if asked , the cabins and imported wood chip at leaplish are a joke though!
I think they manage the border Myers and burns and rivers in it well for conservation unlike other large organisations who I won’t name who I’ve seen first hand don’t care about run off in to water courses and plant right in to them with Sitka and other softwoods.

[Khriss]

@Matty F if yr still there thats two sorries 😉   been a while,  couldnt live there  again, allergic to rain now !  K

[MattyF]

@Matty F if yr still there thats two sorries [emoji6]   been a while,  couldnt live there  again, allergic to rain now !  K

I would not want to be any where else now ! Less tourists though, it’s wildness is its beauty ,we don’t need Northumberland’s national parks becoming the next Lake District and disturbing its recovering and rare wildlife and it’s getting more that way every year thanks to tv coverage form the likes of country file, I have met some interesting character’s on there travels in the forest though!
Worked in a small wood down in this valley on the eastern edge of keilder last week and was the first job in a long while I have enjoyed despite being rained on all day.
Beats working in Gateshead!

[arboriculturist]

On 20/12/2020 at 21:41, Big J said:

I'm looking to try to bring it to the firewood market. It's dense, poker straight and if processed green, rapidly turned into saleable logs. The crazy thing is that there are some sticks that are too large for most processors. 

 

You up for a bit of eucalyptus #arboriculturist ?? 

Eucalyptus - it 100% depends on how fast it dries. Ash has a head start and Beech looses moisture quickly, then tails off. 

 

I have yet to find reliable data on MC loss over time for different species.

 

If you can furnish us with credible data, then yes I would go for it - the jury is still out on Eucalyptus N.  for Firewood.

 

I have burnt it many times though, however being super dense I am sceptical as to speed of drying. 🤒