Coppice Ash

[GreenGui]

I planted a stand of 80 Ash trees approx 5 years ago with the intention of making the maiden coppice cut after 7 years. They are fenced to protect them from Deer damage but we have a lot of Rabbits that I know will eat the new coppice shoots. My question is can I coppice from about knee high to create a sort of low level pollard or would the new re-growth simply sprout from the base? Would appreciate your views thanks

 

PS I'm well aware of the Ash die back issue but it has not hit hard here yet so please don't tell me to simply tear them all out.

[wrsni]

From what I've read that's what would be known as "copparding", a coppard is half way between a coppice and a pollard.

 

Without being pedantic what I take from it all is that you can cut them wherever you want, or the site requires, and they'll do the same thing.

 

I've certainly cut ashes at many different heights and they always seem to regrow just the same.

[GreenGui]

Yes thats what I read too and it does seem to be born out by observing a tree that lost its leader due to damage by a Hornet - it developed 2 leaders. I guess thats really what I need to emulate. When they were first planted several of them throw up shoots from the base rather like a 'sucker' on a rose, my concern was they would do the same when cut rather than 'coppard'. I'll just give it go next winter and see what happens

[woodyguy]

Should be fine. I do it a lot as I'm rabbit infested but not tried it with ash (as don't have any). As I get older with a worse back I'm thinking of doing them at waist height to make working easier!!

[wrsni]

That's cheating!

[woodyguy]

Everythings fair in love, war and coppicing.

[Gollum]

The higher you cut them the weaker the regeneration

[woodyguy]

Maybe. In the past, coppicing had a need for very straight poles to rive, so cutting really low produced them. I agree that you get a lesser number of regrowths but not convinced that they grow slower. A stool with 50 regrowths will self prune down to about 20 anyway. If you aren't bothered about straightness for logs then I'm not sure it matters. Do you have any evidence to support that view apart from tradition (which is often right!!) ?

[Lucan]

This document suggests you get more shoots the higher the cut, but that they are more unstable.

 

Protecting coppice regrowth is what I struggle most with so keen on hearing peoples opinions.

[Peat]

I've seen loads of old ash coppice stools around here that seem to have been cut at that sort of height.