Easy Birch ID

[Dorset Treeman]

Branches on downy birch generally ascend whereas silver birch droop hence the Latin name 'pendula'. hybridisation is a real problem with identifying them though.

[Aunt Maud]

I've been able to do a bit of cutting now, as the swamp is frozen solid, and it's predominantly Downy Birch that I've got.

 

I've done a bit of ring counting and it's growing at a rate of 23 rings per inch, so pretty slow and very dense.

 

There's some really nice burr as well.

 

It hasn't been touched for 35 years or so and I was going to divide it into 15 triangular strips and cut two strips per year, to see if I can get it to grow any faster.

 

The parcel of land is triangular and about 2.5 acres. I hope to get 8 tonnes per year for the first complete rotation, then 6 tonnes afterwards. It's SSI and will be one of a handful of working coppice in Denmark and probably the only one in private hands outside of a museum.

 

What do you reckon, any advice welcome.