Hazel thatching spars

[Acerforestry]

I frequently have access to standing hazel and the idea of making some thatching spars on ever frequent  torrential rain days is gaining appeal - has anyone on here any experience of producing them and is there only seasonal demand - based on the idea that I imagine most thatching takes place in the warmer months, or do thatchers stock up on on materials throughout the cooler months. Any info appreciated TIA, Phil

[woody paul]

Best of luck, I have tried to sell hazel rods to thatchs when I have been coppiceing. Not one of them has wanted ir, they just buy them in from eastern Europe. 

Thatching is done all year round as well. 

[Stere]

Some are people still making them if you search on on FB theres a coppice group that has a few hazel coppicers that post up pics or hazel products /cutting etc some are making spars.

 

£200 per 1000  I think was the highest price for spars

 

Also other stuff like bean sticks hurdles etc hedging stakes etc

 

Most hazel  coppice isn't in a very good state or management  so makes it alot harder to be profitable from versus the best blocks.

 

Often overstood gappy or to much % canaopy cover from standards etc deer browsing & damage etc.

 

A GUIDE TO HAZEL COPPICE ASSESSMENT

WWW.SSCOPPICEGROUP.CO.UK

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A GUIDE TO HAZEL COPPICE ASSESSMENT By Jonathan Howe The following notes are meant as a beginners guide to...

 

 

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by Stere

[openspaceman]

18 minutes ago, Stere said:

Most hazel  coppice isn't in a very good state or management  so makes it alot harder to be profitable from versus the best blocks.

This is the crux; most out of rotation coppice will not produce stems of a quality to produce decent rods useful for anything other than ethering for hedge laying.

 

Often you need to coppice the lot and wait 7 years or more which can be a problem if deer pressure is high.

[marktownend]

I do some conservation volunteering in woods near home which includes coppicing hazel that was put back into a 7 year rotation 9 years ago, so we're on the second cut. A local chap who also coppices himself takes some of the product to use for spars and seems to get decent commercial orders for them, I believe he's got one thatcher who travels from Norfolk to Wiltshire to collect them but no idea on pricing. They need to be processed relatively soon after cutting and I think the thatchers also want them fairly fresh to maintain their pliability.

[Acerforestry]

i think the best approach here is to put a few feelers out, on Woodlots and the like first and see what happens. I understand imports can sometimes scupper the efforts of local craftspeople but that doesn't mean that opportunities don't exist. I have seen current websites where producers of spars are asking a lot more than 20 pence a unit, but that doesn't mean they are shifting them admittedly