Managing Devon hedgerow for firewood

[Woodworks]

We are trying to do the above on a small holding with 3km of Devon hedgerow. The hedges have not been properly manged for many years but we are trying to get them into better order. One of the problems we are having is when we have cut out some large beeches they have failed to re-sprout unlike many of the other species we have, is there any way to avoid this?

 

I would also be interested in any other advice others can give on managing these hedgerows in what apparently is known as bocage in France.

[Daniël Bos]

Assuming you've coppiced, were the beeches multi-stemmed?

If so, it can help to cut half the stems one year, and the remainder the next or the year after.

[Woodworks]

Thanks Rover

Some were large single trees but others were multi-stemmed and I can see in hindsight it would have been wise not to cut all the stems the same year:blushing:. Last winter we did leave stems on large stumps but the initial regrowth looks weak do you think it will be OK as I am not keen on killing trees through my negligence.

[Gnarlyoak]

Hi Woodworks,

 

You will need to reduce your beeches gradually over a period of years. Mature, semi mature beeches do not respond well to having their crowns removed. In fact they may well die......!

[slack ma girdle]

Beech does not coppice well, and the bigger the tree the worse it gets. If you want beech just re-plant the gaps.

 

Sent from my Galaxy arse using tupping talk.

Check ALL the simple things first.

[Woodworks]

Thanks guys

Looks like there is not much we can do but it's not a big problem as we would rather plant a fair amount of ash for firewood anyway. The biggest problem with killing the beeches is as their stumps and roots die back I suspect the hedges will need a fair amount of repair as the trees are what's holding the hedge together.

 

Any other tips for managing the hedgerow for firewood would be greatly appreciated.

[openspaceman]

Beech does not coppice well, and the bigger the tree the worse it gets. If you want beech just re-plant the gaps.

 

Agreed we stored some 90 year old coppice beech in 1985 and the stools failed to produce any sprouts, however the trees that had grown up from the laid beech hedge around the site did, it must be something to do with the survival of adventitious buds in the stool. At the time one of the woodmen next door reckoned the longest rotation for beech coppice was 35 years. It was to no avail as most of the stored stems hardly fattened at all before the 87 storm took them down.

 

The estate had records of the coppice having been used for charcoal and there were numerous charcoal hearths through the site.

 

While we were doing the work I came across a line of about 8 90Hft (3m3) sweet chestnut and I wondered as I felled them why someone had planted them so close, a few years after the storm it became apparent they were adventitious shoot from a windblown tree. Today walking around Arundel I came across just such a tree with 20cm stems making it into individual trees.

 

I now wish I had studied the buttresses of the ones I felled in 85 a bit better to see if any vestiges of the prone stem were visible.

[Stereo]

Sycamore is a good hedgerow coppice tree. Very fast growing, hardy and a good firewood. I would encourage that and the ash of course. They seem to live happily together in our hedges (also in Devon). Hazel as well although it grows slower.

[Crazy Cutter]

Beech does not coppice well, and the bigger the tree the worse it gets. If you want beech just re-plant the gaps.

 

Beech can be a problem but i have found the higher you coppice (chest height) the better the chance of growth. Also when laid or coppiced often there is no growth for two years from the cut stump, callus growth has to form first. I have recently coppiced a outgrown hedge last cut 70 years ago and it has taken two years for shoots to appear. The larger the stump the longer it has taken. Ground level nothing as yet but chest height fully away.

[Woodworks]

Anymore ideas guys and girls as we have got roped into opening up our farm for Devon hedge week and we are far from experts but would like to give newcomers to hedgerow management good advice. One thing we have been recommended to do is flail the sides each year to encourage vertical growth, when a coppiced tree stump sends up multiple stems would it be a good idea to thin some out?