spandit

From What is coppicing? | coppice.co.uk "...For example, common alder coppices poorly..." From http://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/newsitefiles/2010/0410/Coppicing.pdf "...a relatively few species like common alder which strongly coppice..." In fairness, the first link is the only one that said it wasn't suitable for coppicing but with a domain name like that, you'd expect it to be an authority...

As I said, not a million miles away - between RTW and Eastbourne

Well aware of the need to plant the smaller shrubs on the outside and I take your point about evergreens. As mentioned, we have a lot of holly around the edges and there are large clumps of rushes to harbour other wildlife (woodcock, for example). I'm planning on trying to establish some heather too and hopefully my pond will attract more wildlife once I stock it with plants (already seen frogs in there!) I still don't want to use glyphosate - I've read arguments both ways but it doesn't gel with my conscience. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a yurt dwelling hippy (no offence to those who are although kudos for having an Internet connection) but one wonders how any trees manage to grow without human intervention? I've got some oak seedlings well essblished in the sward (?) and my philosophy is that the trees that survive will be all the stronger for it I'll be asking for thinning/coppicing advice on here before too long, don't you worry!

Love the foliage on those red oaks. Will add those to the list for next year...

Here's a photo of part of the site: The mess towards the top is a pond I'm digging out as there is a spring there. Currently puts out about 3,000 gallons a day. There's a drain at the bottom so I can just dump the lot downhill, which is very satisfying. It fills up in a few hours. Once I've finished digging it, by hand, I'll plant some willow revetments to stabilise it. The woodland will have a ride/path up to the pond and I'm planning on creating a seating area up there to enjoy the view, if we ever get a day where it isn't raining! There are plenty of willow sticks stuck into the ground, a couple of buckets full (400?) so should have a good source of withies in years to come. The timber in the foreground of the second picture are a couple of barrel staves that belonged to a barrel that was placed over the spring in the 40's. I dug them up when I was excavating the pond (there's a book written about our house/land that mentioned the spring but it had been covered over some time ago and was just saturating the land and making it boggy). At time of writing, the water has nowhere to go when it over flows but the white line you can see marks out a future pipeline that will take it down to the ditch.

It's probably going to be a while before I have any suitable for hammocking - considering sinking some big posts in at the right spacing so I can enjoy them a bit sooner!

That's my plan. Some of the trees I'm planting are for my grandchildren - seeing as my daughter is only 4, they should be of a good size by then!

I'm hoping that once they're established a bit of neglect won't matter too much - hoping to coppice a certain amount but I work full time so not expecting a bodger's paradise

I agree with the native argument, to an extent, but the Woodland Trust don't grant for anything else. I've bought a few hundred spirals in addition to what they're supplying so can plant some differing species next year. As I think I mentioned, I'm a bit confused that they offer sweet chestnut, which isn't native, but don't offer some others. Very tempted to order a load of robinia etc. but think I'll get this batch in first!

I've exchanged the whitebeam for more alder and aspen but can always try and get some more next year I have some help. I planted a bareroot hedge of about 100 whips in a morning, with membrane, canes and spirals. I know it's a bit later than desired but couldn't afford it without the grant and they took their time. Slit planting is quick and the membrane can wait for a few days. 175 of the plants will be hedged which is fairly quick to do. I take your point about the glyphosate but we'd like to look into organic status if we grow any produce to sell and despite all the good stuff about it, I don't like the thought of spraying chemicals onto my land (and I know putting plastic mats down is hardly environmentally sound but I've made my choice) Nope, English. Sessile prefers better drained soils, I read. We have pedunculate oak around the place anyway and I won't be relying on those for fuel. What makes you recommend sessile, out of interest? The MOREwoods scheme only offers natives. I agree, sycamore sounds ideal for what I want and I'll probably put some in next year to replace the inevitable die offs. I'd also like robinia and ash, neither of which were offered. Italian alder wasn't an option either. We have plenty of holly already in the hedgerows. Hadn't considered larch, don't think it was offered. Thanks! There are some great species to consider for next year. We have a woodland next door and plenty of mature trees around the property so birds aren't short of places to nest. I'm thinking of putting up some posts in due course, with boxes on. Again, laurel and leylandii weren't offered and I wouldn't plant the latter anyway as I don't find it attractive. Have plenty to cut down anyway that will provide decent logs after some good seasoning

We're not 1,000,000 miles away from the Ashdown Forest but further than 7km My neighbour's wood has quite a lot of rhodie in it which implies acidity. Around our boundary we have oak, beech, holly, willow, hawthorn, gorse, birch, ash (1!), sweet chestnut (1!), hornbeam (1!), privet, elder, Scots pine, leylandii*, apple and pear. I think there's a sycamore in the hedge too. Sounds idyllic when I list them like that! I'll see what happens. If they change them, then all well and good, otherwise we'll just see what will happen * doomed

Not sure why I didn't select rowan - it was an option. I've asked them if they'll substitute but might be too late to change order now. Not sure whether to try to treat the soil with ash or lime where I plant the whitebeam or just see whether it copes...

Easy to say, not so easy to organise. I'm going to hire a self propelled mower and give that a go. The brambles aren't that thick at the moment so if I can get it up into the field, it shouldn't be a problem. Bit worried that some of the species I've ordered won't tolerate our soil - should have tested it before but a neighbour tells me it's acidic, which rules out the whitebeam and field maple. Tempted to increase the alder and aspen numbers instead. It's a pity they don't offer robinia or poplar as they grow fast and burn well (especially the former)

Hang them, I'll plant them anyway.

Helicopter ploughing sounds like fun

As mentioned in another thread, I'm looking at planting some blackthorn hedging but various people have brought up the fact that it will send out suckers. This isn't a problem on my side of the fence but would the neighbours the other side have any legal right to complain? It's about 50 yards from their house and against a fairly rough piece of grass but we're not on the best of terms Should I bury a barrier into the ground to stop them suckering?

I would have thought the top has already died so by cutting it off, you're not harming anything - if willow is anywhere near as potent as I'm led to believe, then it will just resprout. I got bored with pruning my neighbour's willow tree so cut it to a small stump with the chainsaw. In one year the shoots were up to 4m long and an inch thick! I've planted a few hundred cuttings on my land as it's good for weaving (osier)

When it spreads further than 15m I'll start worrying - I'll be too drunk on sloe gin by then to care anyway. Out of interest, can one dig the suckers up and plant them elsewhere? If I plant them the other side of a ditch then it becomes next door's problem

That's how you buy willow for planting Bundle of Ten Cuttings of each of 17 Varieties - Yorkshire Willow Online Shop What would I need a PTO for? I'd just hover upside down to keep the grass in check...

I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket in case a particular species fails. I can plant more next year but I wanted a varied landscape. The blackthorn will be concentrated around the hedgerows for security and sloes I think at close (30cm, double row) spacing, it's not going to go far. Has to out compete the rushes and brambles first! The oak and beech will be planted away from much of the scrub species (although I thought hazel etc. was an understorey plant? It's not registered. I'm told that it might be possible to register but for the amount we stand to gain, I don't think it's worth the money but might be wrong. As I understand it, to get the SFP we would have needed to register the land years ago

Of course, I'll be taking regular photos. The grant scheme is essentially a 60% discount. For the 1,500 trees, plus stakes & tubes I'm paying about £1,000 which isn't too bad. The terms and conditions aren't too onerous either - they're happy for me to coppice when trees large enough. I'm dreading 1/4 of your task! I'm hoping they'll give me some satisfaction in 3 years - the willow can be harvested for weaving in one year so that will keep me busy until the other stuff gets a bit bigger

I'll tell you but you'll need to come and help plant!

It's so wet that getting machinery up to clear the bracken/bramble is not easy at the moment. Got a farmer coming round this morning to look at it. Don't know what planned landing is - do you mean an open area where the trees can be felled into?

Didn't realise cobnuts were distinct from hazelnuts - will look into that. Not sure if walnut was an option on the species list - is it warm enough to grow successfully here?

I did a rough calculation that an acre of willow planted at 50cm spacings, each producing 10 2m whips a year, when cut into 25cm whips and sold for 50p each (which seems remarkable to me but that's cheap compared to what some places want for them) you are grossing £640,000 a year.... on one acre! We have about 10... but I'll have to leave some of it unplanted as otherwise where would I land the helicopters?