Small Woodland Management - Help And Guidance Appreciated

[woodyguy]

Interesting post and my situation is very similar. I've had a 7 acre wood for 2 years and like you is very overgrown. I've divided it up (in my head) into areas and work on one per year. In summer I clear the brambles with a massive mulch headed strimmer. Later I spray them when they regrow. I thin the trees and take out anything I don't want there. Then that winter I coppice anything overgrown but desirable and replant. Like you I have a paucity of species so replant with a much wider range. Bear in mind that with global warming, in 70 years when your trees are mature, we will probably have a climate like Italy. So things like Sweet Chestnut and Italian alder need a place.

As you don't have a lot of cash, I'd do one area this winter and see if it gets grazed by deer. You want good regrowth but you're not doing it for a cash crop so if you lose a bit to the deer, who cares.

Happy to advise on species. You need to sow the yellow rattle now as it needs significant frosting to grow next season.

My plan only exists in my head. I certainly don't drive myself to keep to it as its for fun not a living. Hazel isnt suitable for firewood as coppice but Ash on 20 year cycle will.

[sandspider]

Hi woodyguy.

Just wondering why you say hazel coppice is not suitable for firewood? Size? I've burnt some hazel offcuts from hedgelaying, and they were great - dried quickly, burnt well...

[woodyguy]

I meant as a sustainable production of logs. Overgrown hazel stools are fine firewood but have a poor yield compared to ash or SC. Some overgrown stools will die rather than regrow when cut back as well. So hazel was coppiced on a 7 year cycle traditionally for 1-2inch thick growth for splitting. I've planted about 1000 hazel in my wood for coppicing but don't expect to get fire wood from them.

[Bombus]

Interesting post and my situation is very similar. I've had a 7 acre wood for 2 years and like you is very overgrown. I've divided it up (in my head) into areas and work on one per year. In summer I clear the brambles with a massive mulch headed strimmer. Later I spray them when they regrow. I thin the trees and take out anything I don't want there. Then that winter I coppice anything overgrown but desirable and replant. Like you I have a paucity of species so replant with a much wider range. Bear in mind that with global warming, in 70 years when your trees are mature, we will probably have a climate like Italy. So things like Sweet Chestnut and Italian alder need a place.

As you don't have a lot of cash, I'd do one area this winter and see if it gets grazed by deer. You want good regrowth but you're not doing it for a cash crop so if you lose a bit to the deer, who cares.

Happy to advise on species. You need to sow the yellow rattle now as it needs significant frosting to grow next season.

My plan only exists in my head. I certainly don't drive myself to keep to it as its for fun not a living. Hazel isnt suitable for firewood as coppice but Ash on 20 year cycle will.

 

Interesting post. Thanks.

 

Makes sense about the Hazel I suppose. Seems a shame to kill some of the Hazel stools, but it would free up some space for different more useful species at least.

 

If Ash and Hazel coppice have any value on a shorter cycle, I suppose I could sell them and buy fire wood with the cash instead, but don't really want too much hassle. Anyone interested in Hazel coppice products?

 

If not, I could replace them with something else coppiced. Any suggestions?

 

So far I've just been using lobbers/secateurs/bill-hook to clear the undergrowth and a scythe for the grass, but was thinking investing in a brush cutter might be worthwhile.

 

I'm keen on using native species as much as possible for wildlife purposes. And also it's a SSSI, so might not have a lot of option there.

 

I did know the Yellow Rattle needed the cold to germinate, but thanks anyway. Anyone got any experience using it to control and diversify rides? I'm hoping for less grass and more flowers for wildlife, as well as less maintenance.

 

Good point re coppicing and deer. I might just cut a bit and see what happens initially. I can live with some loss, but obviously don't what everything being destroyed.

[Bombus]

In terms of species, I did get a bit impatient and did an impulse order of bare root trees the other day.

 

Here's what I've went for initially:-

Prunus avium (Wild Cherry) - Bareroot Available November to March

Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan, Mountain Ash) - Bareroot Available November to March

Prunus padus (Bird Cherry) - Bareroot Available November to March

Betula pendula (Silver Birch) - Bareroot Available November to March

Acer campestre (Field Maple) - Bareroot Available November - March

Malus sylvestris (Crab Apple) - Bareroot Available November to March

Alnus glutinosa (Common Alder) - Bareroot Available November to March

Quercus robur (English Oak) - Bareroot Available November to March

Tilia cordata Small-leaved Lime Bareroot Available November to March

Castanea sativa (Sweet Chestnut) - Bareroot Available November to March

Viburnum lantana (Wayfaring Tree) - Bareroot Available November to March

Sorbus aria (Whitebeam) - Bareroot Available November to March

Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam) - Bareroot Available November to March

Rhamnus frangula (Alder Buckthorn) - Bareroot Available November to March

Taxus baccata (Yew) - Bareroot 30 - 45 cm Available November to March

Juglans regia (Walnut) - Bareroot Available November to March

Juglans nigra (Black Walnut) - Bareroot Available November to March

 

Mostly in quantities of 3-5, just to get some variety and get something planted.

 

Mostly native, but stuck a few chestnuts and walnuts in as well. Was thinking I could try coppicing some sweet chestnut and try to grow some decent specimen oaks and walnuts for the (great?) grand kids.

 

Got to work where to plant them all now. Sounds like coppicing/killing some Hazel to make a bit of space and extra light might be the way forward.

 

Any thoughts, or tips on planting such a varied mix without anything getting swamped out?

 

I assume I'm going need to stop them being munched somehow? There are lots of old tree shelters already there, from whoever had it before me. Can I reuse those?

[Two Acres]

Hi Bombus,

 

I'm in a very similar position to you with around five acres that have been untouched for around twenty years. If you search for a thread that I started called 'working neglected woodland' you may find lots of information that would interest you. I've had massive help from Arbtalkers so far, including site visits and offers to work, all for free A big thank you to all.

 

At the stage I'm at (essentially research and planning) the best advice has been to just spend time in the wood getting to know it. Thats what I've been doing and its made a real difference to my knowledge and understanding of what I'm working with.

 

Can we see some pictures?

 

best of luck

[Bombus]

Hi Bombus,

 

I'm in a very similar position to you with around five acres that have been untouched for around twenty years. If you search for a thread that I started called 'working neglected woodland' you may find lots of information that would interest you. I've had massive help from Arbtalkers so far, including site visits and offers to work, all for free A big thank you to all.

 

At the stage I'm at (essentially research and planning) the best advice has been to just spend time in the wood getting to know it. Thats what I've been doing and its made a real difference to my knowledge and understanding of what I'm working with.

 

Can we see some pictures?

 

best of luck

 

I have already read your thread, but might be worth going through it again for any tips.

 

Good advice about spending time and observing it. I'm not doing anything too drastic to start with. As people pointout, you can't unfell trees.

 

I'll see if I can dig some pics out, and take more when i'm down there next. It'll be good to see the progress over time in future.

[the village idiot]

Hi Bombus,

 

I'm in a very similar position to you with around five acres that have been untouched for around twenty years. If you search for a thread that I started called 'working neglected woodland' you may find lots of information that would interest you. I've had massive help from Arbtalkers so far, including site visits and offers to work, all for free A big thank you to all.

 

At the stage I'm at (essentially research and planning) the best advice has been to just spend time in the wood getting to know it. Thats what I've been doing and its made a real difference to my knowledge and understanding of what I'm working with.

 

Can we see some pictures?

 

best of luck

 

Good post that!

 

My advice would be don't rush into planting too many different things. I fully appreciate that the temptation is strong, and we do need to diversify our woodlands to a certain extent.

Woods however are very good at regenerating themselves given plenty of light, and you end up with species that grow well in your particular environment.

Planting is definitely a positive idea but I would question the need to clear out many of the resident trees in order to establish untested ones.

All species of woodland tree will produce you firewood, they are also all marketable in some way or other. It can be a fun challenge to uncover the markets over time and tap into them😊

[felixthelogchopper]

Dividing into zones and coppicing annually sounds good, but 7 years would not be nearly long enough for a firewood coppice. More like 15-20 I'd say, which would mean dividing it up into more areas. However its important not to make them to small, to ensure the stools get enough light for healthy regrowth. Don't eave too many standard trees amongst the coppice for the same reason. 6 per acre seems to be a good guide.

 

The lack of a browse line doesn't mean you won't have deer problems. The parklands where this occurs have far heavier deer stocking than even the most heavily deer ravaged unfenced woodland. You will still need to protect from deer if you cut coppice as they will severely set back the regrowth. Movable fencing is probably your best option if you're willing to spend a bit. Dead hedging is also an option but takes a lot of labour and stakes (potential product). I have heard of people having success with piling brash ontop of the newly cut stools but the regrowth I have seem from this has been pretty wonky, although this isn't such an issue if you're just after firewood.

 

Good luck and enjoy!

 

Rather than brashing all over the stool, which may encourage dormice who will damage the new growth, you should be brashing around the stool to prevent deer reaching the new buds etc.

[Bombus]

Good post that!

 

My advice would be don't rush into planting too many different things. I fully appreciate that the temptation is strong, and we do need to diversify our woodlands to a certain extent.

Woods however are very good at regenerating themselves given plenty of light, and you end up with species that grow well in your particular environment.

Planting is definitely a positive idea but I would question the need to clear out many of the resident trees in order to establish untested ones.

All species of woodland tree will produce you firewood, they are also all marketable in some way or other. It can be a fun challenge to uncover the markets over time and tap into them��

 

i appreciate the advice and I am trying to be measured and careful about what I do.

 

I just feel that a wood mostly made of only 3 species (all of use commercially previously and 2 in imminent danger from pests/diseases) isn't that natural or robust.

 

I'm not planing on clear felling whole chunks at a time, just selectively introducing a few new native species here and there. The one's that are well suited, will hopefully spread over time, the one's that aren't might struggle and get out competed.

 

There's a lot of Hazel coppice (which unless someone knows different) isn't that useful these days, so I think replacing some of it, with more variety will be beneficial overall.

 

Plus, my wood is a small part of a much larger wood, so any changes i make to my little bit won't affect the overall balance/composition too much and can only help on a larger scale.

 

I'm open to all advice and suggestions though! I just want to do what's best for the wood at the end of the day.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Bombus