been offerd some land to work , few questions.

[Dr.Green]

evening , i just finalised the purchase of my yard. the guy that owned it across the road says he has about 2 ,4achers of land thats used to be used for horses but he hates them and doesnt have them anymore (hurray , nethier do it)

 

anyways , we are thinking of going into growing some trees after i told him i was was going to do a little shrub n tree growing at my yard.

we have all machinery (almost), and land so theres a good start. i know a bit about planting but just a few quick questions to get the ball rolling till i have a proper site vist.

 

we are thiniking of doing some leylandi planting on a large scale to sell on as 4ft,6ft, hedging , so , any suppliers of say bareroot trees? as i think treeplease near mine dont do them bareroot. also years to take to say get from 40cm upto above hieghts.

 

also , i may think of putting in a large section of ash,syc,birch (more suggestions please) for firewood as im thinking of purchasing the field next to my yard for a large barn/firewood/future home project . the quick question here is say whats the average timescale from say a 60cm tree upto a size good enough for harvesting / coppicing timber.

 

i may sound a little unknowledgeable but ive got a go set of brains to do it , just at 1am my typing skills are poor.

 

the owner has money and i have the skills and the land opposite so nothing ventured nothing gained

 

thanks in advance

 

also , whats the 'tax; situation at the end of it all , i heard firewood sold in lenghts isnt taxable until its into firewood/split , or is this pure poppycock pub talk

 

[Marko]

Ash takes about 15 years from a 40cm plant and then should coppice every 7 years thereafter.

[Steve Bullman]

firewood in lengths is taxable at 20%

 

processed firewood is taxable at 5%

[Steve Bullman]

Sorry just to add, that 20% tax rate on lengths is when you are selling to a firewood producer. I guess if you were selling lengths to homeowners to cut themselves it would still be 5%

[john k]

That's just VAT though. I think that the OP may have been thinking of the income tax exemption for forestry:

 

From http://www.confor.org.uk/AboutUs/Default.aspx?pid=151

 

"No Income or Corporation Tax on the occupation of, or timber income from, commercial woodlands.

Profits from the sales of timber are tax free, rents and other revenue receipts from woodlands are liable to Income Tax.

No relief from Income Tax is given for expenditure incurred in commercial woodlands."

 

So timber sales would be tax exempt, but processed firewood wouldn't. That assumes that the revenue agree it's a commercial woodland, and your rotation is greater than 10 years.

[muttley9050]

Have to own the woodland for 2 years before its tax exempt, but wouldn't matter in this case.

[felixthelogchopper]

Sorry just to add, that 20% tax rate on lengths is when you are selling to a firewood producer. I guess if you were selling lengths to homeowners to cut themselves it would still be 5%

 

Pretty sure that the 5% VAT is to end-user so I reckon you are right too.

[Goaty]

I'd plant thickly at least in rows. To get the height quicker and straighter. If you plant for nursery stock to sell as plants for example, you could plant 2 of these to 1 firewood tree. Or plant 2 or 3 to 1 with larch , spruce or birch to a coppice tree as these will cut once then fail most likely, leaving your long term at final spacing.

 

Evergreens for nursery stock at 30cm or more for final sale size need to be rootballed not bareroot. You could grow yew laurel privet leylandii. in complete rows alternatley. Taking out the rows. You need to space according to your machinery, including final harvesting/lifting gear.

If you nurtured plants long term a firm called northern tree transplanters up your way could possibly buy large specimens to rootball in 10 or more years time.

 

Pines are also easy to grow and golf courses etc buy large ones. This is a good idea. Long term investment. I recommend you both put heads together and put on paper, then in case of ill health, death etc. You are fair to each other. Who enjoys long term investment with no return?

[hedgesparrow]

native hedging good market for it plus side line planting it for customers. only needs to be 40 to 60cm whips those that do not sell grow on to be 90 to 120cm whips. such a variety of species to grow unlike just one lyandi

[renewablejohn]

I would be very wary with the land as it sounds like it is in limbo at the moment. Ie is not classed as agriculture or forestry at the moment due to last use being horses. Also could you get more land as permitted development rules are easier over 5 hectares.