Hazel and Chestnut

[Pat Ferrett]

Hi all! what months do you start copse cutting Hazel and sweet Chestnut and what months do you stop ?

[Neil Frost]

I'm not an expert by a long way, but I know I'm doing some hazel coppicing next week. I always thought feb was a good time to do it...coppicing that is.

[coppiceer]

Start in September and finish around the end of March (depending on the weather) so that the wildlife can get on with their important business in spring.

[Pat Ferrett]

Thanks lads! Im chomping at the bit to get up in the woods and have ago , I was worried that I might have left it to late and missed the boat. Im a total novice re copse cutting can anybody discribe how a Hazel stand thats been cut correctly should look please ?

[Martyn Amos]

hi jam

think the chap in the above post [coppiceer] is spot on

when i was hedge laying last winter dates were sept to end of march

for the birds to breed:thumbup:

[Brushcutter]

Did some coppice last weekend. The hazel was fine but the Ash and Sycamore were starting to come into bud. Cut low to the ground and don't cut into old wood on the stool.

[the crafty weasel]

Did some coppice last weekend. The hazel was fine but the Ash and Sycamore were starting to come into bud. Cut low to the ground and don't cut into old wood on the stool.

 

Agreed. Also when cutting off the stems, make sure that the cuts slope away from the centre of the coop, discourages water from collecting in the centre. If you're trying to recover neglected hazel coppice, cut away about half of the old wood this year, then another half next, so as not to shock the tree too much.

If the hazel coppice you're working has evidence of dormouse activity (scratch about among the leaf litter under mature hazel and look for nuts with round scraped holes, not to be confused with woodmice, which have round gnawed holes with marks radiating outwards. See pic, woodmouse on left, Dormouse on right), make sure that you leave enough mature fruiting hazel to support the colony. It is recommended to not take more than one sixth of the total area of hazel in any one year where there is evidence of dormice.

 

Hope this is some help.

 

[Pat Ferrett]

Cheers Brushcutter and Evenangles! Some of the stands are in real bad shape, I dont think some have been touched for at least 20 years. Its a real shame to see them in such a state, The map of the farm has all the old names of the copses on it and now its all been let go . Im going to take a few pictures and keep my fingers crossed that I can make a few quid to cover the fuel cost, If I can do that and improve the woodland then Ill be a happy man

[Mattsnaturalrivers]

I coppice hazel all year round, my woodland is renown for variety of rare butterflies so this is the main species of concern for the owners not the bird population so they're happy with this as they want a nice mix of cycles and the woods too big to make a noticeable effect with only winter coppicing plus access is often limited at times. From what I understand the products that you make from hazel last longer if cut in winter but hurdle and spar makers often cut all year round as well so it can't be that bad.

[Pat Ferrett]

Cheers Craftyweasel! If you were to leave 50% of a Hazel stand then would you thin it? remove the oldest polls? trim the centre or the outer growth? I know how I must sound but I really am a novice re copse cutting