Planning new wood

[timberbear]

 

Planted up a couple of acres six years ago with a very diverse mix of trees aimed at firewood for the future, a mix of fruit trees for wildlife then legacy trees for when I've gone to the dark side! I planted at only a meter apart and mixed species such as birch and hornbeam togather to make sure they compete with each other and draw up tall and straight. I imagine I'll be taking my fist couple of loads within the next few years. As these trees are removed the oaks will start to fill out. I went for species that will coppice well. I put some trees like whitebeam and service tree in for there wildlife value and planted hazel and thorn around the edges. It's full of wildlife. Weeding the trees for the first two years was important but by planting close they now suppress the grass. Rabbit and vole guards are very important likewise keeping the trees upright in the wind. Visit the Defra website you might get a grant as a landowner. I'm lucky enough to have 70ac in Scotland to and I'm getting a grant to plant about 15ac up and that covers the cost of fencing to. The other thing I did was to plant 80/120cm whips as they seem to establish quicker and the tips are out of the reach of hares!

[Duncansimpson]

If you want to know what grows best in your soil then have a look about you and see what's growing well. Mixed hardwoods always make lovely long term wood for a legacy but you are unlikely to be able to harvest your crop.

We spent several years thinning out trees along motorways so had the opportunity to see how things grow.

Willow and poplar had been used as nurse trees to bring the hardwoods on (make them grow tall and straight). This was a waste of time as they just swamped them. The best trees were without doubt ones grown in groups of the same species, so if you are going for mixed then plant in blocks of the same rather mixed side by side. Trees like to be with their mates, shared mycorrhizae no doubt.

[matelot]

Yes you can. A small and/or young wood could be clear felled under a felling exemption fairly easily. At a rough guess (based on my young woodland) it'll be 20 years or so before you'd exceed your exemption, longer if you start cutting while the trees are young.

 

A simple legal covenant wouldn't cost much, although I don't know how binding they are or who would enforce it when donnk is no longer around.

 

I'd imagine from what the original poster says he's going to be keeping the wood for a reasonable time - he is talking about using it for firewood production.

 

I don't personally see someone in twenty or thirty years time being able to just cut all the trees down. The Forestry Commission is fairly hard on these things...

 

A typical lawyer costs at least £200 an hour. I don't see the point in spending thousands on a covenant that does something the Forestry Commission would effictevely do for free.

 

As an aside, I believe covenants are fairly hard to enforce. I certainly know people who bought land with restrictive covenants - their lawyers said the covenants were worthless.

[Paul in the woods]

I'd imagine from what the original poster says he's going to be keeping the wood for a reasonable time - he is talking about using it for firewood production.

 

I don't personally see someone in twenty or thirty years time being able to just cut all the trees down. The Forestry Commission is fairly hard on these things...

.

 

I own a young woodland, much is about 25 years old, and I could easily clear fell an acre or two a year and not replant without falling foul of the FC. In fact a large land owning organisation that neighbours my woodland has done just that, clear felled a couple of acres of older woodland to return it pasture.

[donnk]

I'd imagine from what the original poster says he's going to be keeping the wood for a reasonable time - he is talking about using it for firewood production.

 

I don't personally see someone in twenty or thirty years time being able to just cut all the trees down. The Forestry Commission is fairly hard on these things...

 

A typical lawyer costs at least £200 an hour. I don't see the point in spending thousands on a covenant that does something the Forestry Commission would effictevely do for free.

 

As an aside, I believe covenants are fairly hard to enforce. I certainly know people who bought land with restrictive covenants - their lawyers said the covenants were worthless.

 

Thanks for the replies, the covenant wouldnt protect the tree's per se but would restrict what could be done with the land. No housing, no access for vehicles etc

 

I'll leave it in my will to a trust with beneficial ownership to my family.

 

Covenants are a minefield, some can be ignored (caravans on drive type) planning ones can't as mortgage companies refuse to offer on them effectively enforcing the covenant without having to resort to civil legal action.

[spandit]

The Woodland Trust MOREwoods scheme is how I started - gives you a 60% discount on trees & protection (the tubes don't just protect from deer, rabbits etc., they also provide a microclimate and wind protection - once the trees grow a bit, the leaves quickly shade out weeds trying to grow up the tubes and in Autumn they self mulch).

 

My woodland is in its third growing season now. The alder is the predominant species, most of them up to 9'+ but willow and birch have naturally seeded and there are thousands of little oaks coming up too - many a couple of feet tall so above the sward.

 

As said, make a note of what is already growing nearby and use the time leading up to next winter to plan what and where you'll plant. It's hard work initially but so glad I did it and can't wait for it to look like a proper woodland

[DanSmallLGL]

There is also the possibility that you could claim the Woodland Creation Grant through Countryside Stewardship. With the grants I have applied for our clients, the grant is generally covering 100% of the costs, depending on the design.