whats the best trees to plant

[william petts]

I thought about possibly doing a coniferous plantation so it could be possibly felled for lumber, but not ideal for what I wanted as firewoid. Like I said before the use of the woodland is to depress weed/brambles, and give an income in the future for its timber, im 18 so I should hopefully see the trees get to size where they can be felled, I get an income and can then replant or if thin the wood let it re seed for the next generation

[TGB]

I've seen a few birch live quite a while longer. But in the main, 20-30 is right. Has a s hallow root plate and susceptible to being knocked over in high winds. Splits easy and quick to burn on fire; as the poem says, "Burns up fast but doesn't last."

[william petts]

I've seen a few birch live quite a while longer. But in the main, 20-30 is right. Has a s hallow root plate and susceptible to being knocked over in high winds. Splits easy and quick to burn on fire; as the poem says, "Burns up fast but doesn't last."

 

Haha I like it!!.

Is birch prone to rot (I know once felled it can rot quite quick) and is it prone to any diseases beetles etc that should be mentioned.

For warned is for armed!

[M Large Forestry Equipment]

Now you're asking. 2m x 2m should be about right, any wider and you'll encourage more lateral branches.

If you plant closer it will encourage the trees to grow straighter and thinner, and you're likely to need to thin them at some point through their rotation. At a 1m x 1m spacing this could be a pain.

How long before final felling is a more open-ended question and it depends on what you want. You could coppice for biomass in 5 years or leave the birch for 50 to produce high quality timber. For firewood and for a relatively small area, one option is selective thinning from whenever they get to a size that best fits your firewood processor (10-15 years). Or you could fell them all at 20 years and wait another 20 until they all grew back. It really is down to your objectives, resources and patience.

[Goaty]

18!!!!! Well done on the long term thinking. It was a goal of mine as a teenager to do what you are doing.

 

 

Think in stages.

What trees will look magnificent long term left on site at a final wider spacing. Such as sequoia, oak , beechThen 1/2 or a 1/3 between have medium term timber trees, pine, Douglas fir. Then an early crop for firewood alder and birch and timber for fencing posts such as larch.

 

Trees suggested are top of head as example only. Site and soil plus other factors to think about.

 

Trees are. Cheap better to plant close and get them away than to have them spread eagled and bushy low plants. Being of a nursery background I would even plant in rows at 2ft apart and rows to your machinery width. Using such as birch and alder. With the long term species interspersed at their spacings. Use bamboo canes and tie them straight. After 4-5 years either get equipment and lift your self. Or arrange a nursery to come and take them to sell on.

The income for this will make the whole project I'm profit early.

You do need to assess whether you have the skills and interest and time to do it. Also if any nurseries in a worthwhile distance would be interested in 6ft + plants.

 

Later a contractor such as ruskins who are on arbtalk. May come and Treespade large rootballed trees out for good money(better than firewood or fencing posts) to use on golf courses etc.

 

There are regulations on what trees you can grow and sell to transplant. But I would get the general idea first and deal with that later or a nursery may sort that under their growing regime.

 

Lots to think about if you do this and it's worth leaving it another year to get it right. However you could buy small trees, line them out close in closer rows then lift them to transplant again next year. If kept well they will benefit more from the replant. You will have bigger plants for your £s and be on schedule.

[william petts]

18!!!!! Well done on the long term thinking. It was a goal of mine as a teenager to do what you are doing.

 

 

Think in stages.

What trees will look magnificent long term left on site at a final wider spacing. Such as sequoia, oak , beechThen 1/2 or a 1/3 between have medium term timber trees, pine, Douglas fir. Then an early crop for firewood alder and birch and timber for fencing posts such as larch.

 

Trees suggested are top of head as example only. Site and soil plus other factors to think about.

 

Trees are. Cheap better to plant close and get them away than to have them spread eagled and bushy low plants. Being of a nursery background I would even plant in rows at 2ft apart and rows to your machinery width. Using such as birch and alder. With the long term species interspersed at their spacings. Use bamboo canes and tie them straight. After 4-5 years either get equipment and lift your self. Or arrange a nursery to come and take them to sell on.

The income for this will make the whole project I'm profit early.

You do need to assess whether you have the skills and interest and time to do it. Also if any nurseries in a worthwhile distance would be interested in 6ft + plants.

 

Later a contractor such as ruskins who are on arbtalk. May come and Treespade large rootballed trees out for good money(better than firewood or fencing posts) to use on golf courses etc.

 

There are regulations on what trees you can grow and sell to transplant. But I would get the general idea first and deal with that later or a nursery may sort that under their growing regime.

 

Lots to think about if you do this and it's worth leaving it another year to get it right. However you could buy small trees, line them out close in closer rows then lift them to transplant again next year. If kept well they will benefit more from the replant. You will have bigger plants for your £s and be on schedule.

 

Thats great advice cheers mate. I was thinking about the nursery route as I grow beeding plants and perennials from seed/plug and sell on, also done a few shrubs but mostly bought them in. With alot of landscaping now envolving easy maintenance, I cant think of any other trees that fit the bill than silver birch, and if you havnt guessed silver birch is probably my favourite tree, it would also tie in with my brother whos going into landscaping.the only other idea would be are there any nurseries etc that would want to work with me to set it up.

I would point out the land isnt mine its me nans, and me dads running it but uli mentioned the idea and he said go out and see what you can find out.

All that aside id still want a woodland for it being a woodland there dosnt necessarily need to be a earner ftom it as my 1st simple goal would be to turn a waste bit of land into something tidy and useful be it what id like to see happen which is it become an investment that will pay in the future or it be somewhere to walk the dogs!!

[agg221]

I started planting trees, in this case re-planting gaps in an orchard, when I was about 15. I am now 42 and the trees are mature and looking good (Mum still lives there). It is very satisfying to see things grow over an extended timeframe.

 

A few thoughts on your potential wood.

 

I would echo Goaty's comments about planting for stages. I would also think about the eventual look you want - is it mature woodland with standards, standards over coppice or block plantation and clear fell? Personally I would avoid clear felling the whole thing as it won't be great for its impact on habitat, and who knows what kind of felling licence you will need by the time it's ready. I would therefore either go for staged removal, as per Goaty's suggestion, or standards over coppice.

 

Either way, I would be planting a pretty broad range. There are so many tree species under attack at the moment and who knows which will be next. I would go for birch as a pioneer species, maybe still chance some ash for coppicing (somewhere around 10% should be resistant with luck if the Danish example is anything to go by), maybe some hornbeam for coppicing, alder and

 

I would plant some trees which I expected to become timber - wild cherry, oak, and on that site I would chance some elm. OK, so I would (my favourite tree) but the adaptation trial described here: Trials is interesting and the website will supply you with trees - if you start with one of each strain of interest you can propagate more from cuttings. I would avoid Patriot from that list btw. Out of interest, if you are anywhere near Acton's Farm, High Wych, there is a really impressive surviving tree there.

 

I might also mix in some sycamore as a second thin - it grows fairly fast and makes good firewood. A few hazel and field maple might go in around the edges and a couple of limes (small leaved or large leaved rather than hybrid) would ultimately make impressive trees.

 

I don't think I would plant any willow, poplar or beech (site sounds a bit low and wet for the latter).

 

Alec

[Aunt Maud]

I'd plant Beech (unless it's a bog) and Birch together at 1M spacings and selectively thin them out with a view to end up with Beech woodland, which can be spectacular when there's a stream running through it.

 

You can coppice both, but the Birch shouldn't be too large when you first cut it, something like 4"ø would be a good starting point.

 

Silver Birch can also get very big, there's one in our local woods that's recently been felled which is about 1M ø

[matelot]

How about planting some Christmas trees?

[william petts]

How about planting some Christmas trees?

 

Me dad use to buy and sell xmas trees and did ok at it, he was doing it and delivering them when there weren't many people doing trees and hardly anyone delivered. But I think now days everyone's at it and the cost to buy in means there's not much monwy in it.

Funny enough he always wanted to grow them and either cut to his own orders or sell straight to nurseries etc. Its probably something he would consider byt would want more than one acre to do it on. His plan was to do in on one of our feilds which is 25acres.

As for me idxprefer to grow timber than axas trees, but could alwats look to do both