Coppice Ash

[Paul in the woods]

Is it not possible to get the numbers of rabbits down or will even just the odd rabbit cause too much damage?

 

I've noted that rabbits seem happy to nibble the bark from brash left from a bit of thinning rather than attack the trunks of mature ash trees. Just wondering if a bit of rabbit control and leaving brash would avoid rabbit damage on shoots.

[GreenGui]

Thanks for the responses. Interestingly enough the damaged tree that re-grew 2 leaders was at about waist height, maybe I'll get 3 at knee height

 

I am not in a position to control the rabbits in the Ash plantation, they have stopped chewing the bark now the trees are getting bigger but I suspect they would still find a way through the brash to the new shoots if I cut low. Really want to coppice this Ash so will try cutting a higher up.

 

The 4 acres of mixed broad leaf I have planted at the bottom of the field does not suffer Rabbit damage at all and is not fenced, consequently the Deer cause some damage but now most of the trees are 'away' after 7 years the damage is reduced to browsing the under story. I just have to be careful in spring when the Wild Boar nest - they do a great job of clearance, they leave it lovely and clean but they can be scary. I've often wondered if the Boar deter the Rabbits:confused1:

[Peasgood]

I've often wondered if the Boar deter the Rabbits:confused1:

 

The boar will eat the rabbits if they can catch them. I'd say that was a deterrent.

[woodyguy]

That link to forestry commission was interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

Unfortunately telling me how many shoots grow after one year is of little interest if I wish to cut them after say 7 years for hazel. As we know they self prune, I'm much more interested in yield class of hazel after 7 years not one year.

[Lucan]

There is a couple of studies out there coppice yields, hazel density, etc.

 

These give good scientific grounding, theory, advice, etc but I imagine yield classes would be so site specific they would be little more than a punt

[woodyguy]

Yes I've read her thesis before but again it does nothing to address the age old received wisdom that cutting low is best. What she does show is that yield class is vital if you are doing it commercially. The problem is that in the heyday of coppicing, there were few rabbits and fewer deer. We live in a very different world these days and when I compare fencing vs cutting higher, the later has a real appeal.

[GreenGui]

When we first arrived there were no apparent Rabbits. The local hunters who come out each Sunday in hunting season helped to keep the numbers down. Many farmers have an unfenced Sweet Chestnut coppice stand somewhere on their land for fence posts or firewood and don't suffer the Rabbits. The system was very close to when coppice was an industry as you say woodguy.

 

Ironically by planting lots of trees and encouraging wildlife we have caused our own problem. We don't want the hunters as many roam the countryside half cut making 'Elmer Fudd' look professional and with kids on the land its not safe ('only' 38 dead this year so far, down from 57 last year).

 

Rabbit fencing for us is just not a viable proposition, we simply don't have the cash.

[woodyguy]

Share your concern that French hunters are terrifying (often terrifyingly drunks as well).

Do you have any users of le furet locally?

[coppiceer]

I have had a lot of problems coppicing Ash after leaving them for 8 years. There is abundant regrowth but the new shoots then "flop" over in the wind and grow into all sorts of fantastically distorted shapes.

 

I have had to cut away the worst of the stems after 2 years growth leaving only the bset to grow on. Some of the stems are nice and straight but most take a lot of extra effort to cut up for logs.

 

The above problems occurred whether I cut the trees as low as possible or if I cut at higher levels. All regrowth occurs from around 4"-6" of the base of the trees.

 

Leaving a level top on stumps caused frequent stump mortality; finishing off the stump with sloping sides prevented this pronlem.

 

The way to avoid these problems is to cut the sapling at about 4" when planting. I have tried this with self-sets and transplants and it works.

[Crazy Cutter]

I just would not do anything to your ash yet.

 

You mention ash dieback, I understand it hasn't reached you in the north west of France in the same way it hasn't really reached the south west of England. It will reach you and will be very visible. Your trees being nursery stock I presume are most likely to be infected first with probably 100% losses.

 

Please be in no doubt this disease is bad, we are now riddled with it here in Norfolk. I have felled another 9 mature trees this week alone along side roads. Our trees here seem to have been affected first in 2003 but have only showed signs within the last three years. I have not seen a healthy ash last year full stop! Our understanding from the Danes seem to suggest that trees will not recover from this disease only trees showing no signs to the eye will live on.

 

A visit to Dorset in October showed me how our ash used to look but the signs were already there wherever I looked.