Hypothetical - ideal woodland - what would you plant?

[Marko]

We have been planting for 7 years now. Ash with the odd oak in the main but alder, willow and hazel where better suited to the ground conditions. If anything doesn't take I pop in a birch.

[RobArb]

A mixed British native woodland.

 

A do like the idea of a birch first mixed with alder, but I just couldn't omit other British native species:biggrin:

 

So although I could do predominantly birch and alder, I'd have to have oak, ash, hazel, field maple, Hawthorn, apple and even the odd willow and black pop thrown in there too:biggrin:

 

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[Chris Sheppard]

I'd be going for a fairly broad mix but would like to have some areas of nice Douglas and Larch and get some areas of mixed faste growing hardwoods, though round us it would probably end up reverting to either Birch or Ash with a smattering of Alder.

 

Hawthorne seems to like our sandy soil and have seen some quite nice trees so I'd bung a few of them in too.

 

Some Oak would be nice too.

 

Suppose ultimately I'm not fussy - I'd be happy with pretty much owt

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Firewood bias means ash, birch, alder, syc and beech. Forget Oak. Yer, larch and douglas as well.

 

For fun, all sorts, but clean stemmed stuff, no oak. Did one some years back with walnut, small-leaved lime, hornbeam, italian alder, princeton elm, birch, euro larch, sweet chestnut, silver maple...

[Highland Forestry]

Modified Sitka on short rotation for me

[renewablejohn]

Can I tell you in 20 years time. Have recently planted 3 coppice of ash,hazel and crab apple (cider).

[Big J]

Can I tell you in 20 years time. Have recently planted 3 coppice of ash,hazel and crab apple (cider).

 

Just make sure you don't forget!

[face cord]

Eucalyptus!

 

Nah proably a forest big enough that it could have everything in different parts

 

Would like it to have alot of forest rides with avenues of trees either sides. Maybe a massive circle of oak trees witha "secret glade" in the middle. Would also have bluebells wild garlic etc & a river with reintroduced beavers living in it.

 

Mix in alot of edible species like damson crab apple, apples etc

 

Maybe have natives in one area transition in into a more manged area with exotic species.

Edited September 25, 2012 by face cord

[Daniël Bos]

I've planted a few acres in a shelter-belt around my little holding to stop the wind somewhat as we're on a hilltop surrounded by flatness...

 

We planted:

Ash

Oak

Sw Chestnut

Robinia

Lawson Cypress

Euro Larch

Scots pine

Sitka

Cherry

Alder

Italian Alder

Hornbeam

Sm L Lime

Birch

Thuja

Goat willow

And some blocks of hazel and willow coppice.

 

I chose the species and their placement with care to try and have "multiple stories" so I don't just end up with a "hedge on stilts" but have wind shelter at all heights.

It's a wildly varying mix which may not be to everyones taste but it'll end up ok I reckon once we've taken out the conifers after they've done their job of growing quick to provide shelter for the rest, A load of the broadleaves will be on a coppice rotation for firewood as well as craft and building uses and I'm hoping to deploy the eastern european shredding practice on the oaks so they'll provide fodder for our livestock as well as producing a mental grained timber due to the repeated cutting.

[northumbriaforestry]

The land you have available will tell you what it wants to grow, go with that I reckon.