DanSmallLGL

could also try Dave Faulkner http://www.whittlewoodcreations.co.uk/ Based on the Bucks/Northants border. 

Cutting back could effect the future form of the tree, and therefore the value when someone come to felling them. Why aren't you keen on staking?

No it doesn't!

Cut these today, would like to sand them down and use as place holders.  What's the best way to go about this with regards treating them so they don't split please?
 
 

One thing to bear in mind is if there is a lot of brash and stumps around still, when it comes to maintaining weed/grass growth to stop competition, it will be a bugger. In the perfect world you could get a mulcher in to clear the site, but that will be expensive. Could you get a digger in to pile up the brash then burn it? It will make establishment a lot easier if you are able to mow/strim around the young trees.

One of the biggest barriers to CCF being successful in my eyes is the browsing from deer and squirrels. If both of these species had properly managed populations CCF would be a much more viable option.

If you want to avoid as much splitting as possible - drilling the pith out, season and then plug the whole has worked for me in the past. The hole in the middle creates space for the wood to shrink into.

To clarify I am not him!

You could try Allan Rowlands - https://www.facebook.com/people/Allan-Rowlands-Timber/100009541524462

I have worked with him often over the last few years, he even pushed me out when I got stuck in my car!

All depends on the volume/size of trees you are wanting to fell. The link inthewoods posted will give you the details on the exemptions that allow you to fell with out the need for a felling licence. If you need a hand with anything let me know.

This is an extract from this website (The Organic Research Centre)

Whitehall Farm

Organic arable farmers and advisors, Stephen and Lynn Briggs, have recently established a silvoarable system on 125 acres of fenland soils, just outside Peterborough.

The system consists of widely spaced rows of apple trees and 24m-wide alleys of combinable crops. The 4500 apple trees were planted in October 2009; the 13 varieties (9 commercial and 4 traditional) were selected to produce apples for juicing and eating. In the 3m-wide strips under the trees, Stephen has sown a nectar-rich seed mixture to encourage the pollinators that are so important for successful fruit harvests. Late maturing tree varieties have been chosen to allow harvesting of the alley crops first and pruning of overhanging branches will develop the trees into a hedge-like structure that will make it easier to cultivate within the alleys without damaging the trees.

That sprayer would be fine, most commercial outfits will use a Knapsack Sprayer like this Backpack Sprayer 16 litres - Peacock Salt

I have never brought herbicides myself but seems like you can just get them from the internet https://www.amenity.co.uk/total-systemic-weed-killers/roundup-provantage.html

Each herbicide will have info on the product labels telling you how much to use and ratios to water.

Your reading was right, Herbicide treatment to maintain a 1m weed free zone around each plant will give them the best chance for establishment. I would think Glyphosate/Round up would be the best herbicide to use, and the trees will probably need 2-3 applications each year.

It may be worth you looking into the competency licences PA1 and PA6 to give you in-depth knowledge into the safe use and application of herbicides.

An alternative method for weed control could be to fit carpet (or another suppressant) around each plant. This may need some hand weeding each year and removal of the sheeting once the trees are established. But it removes the risk of spray drift damaging trees or having to buy lots of kit.

Ancient Woodland is woodland that can be traced back as continuous cover from 1600's. As an ancient woodland the FC will not want to protect it, in terms of not loosing any ancient features (veteran trees, archaeology, ancient woodland plants such as bluebell).

If you are thinning a felling licence application will be very simple to complete, two sided form and map should be all that is needed.

However there are exemptions to the requirement for a felling licence. You can fell up to 5 cubic meters of timber a quarter (20 m3 a year) with out a felling licence. Any timber under 10cm diameter at breast height does not require a felling licence for thinnings (15cm for coppicing). So depending on your plans you may be able to get away without the need for one.

This advice is based on woodland in England so there may be slight differences in Scotland, but I cant imagine it being too different.

The FC are recommending that you don't clear fell Ash for the reasons Saw-sick Steve mentioned. It is however recommend that if the woodland is very dense, a thinning will benefit as it will allow airflow in and around the Ash, providing the best habitat for any (probably not very many) resistant trees to be in the best condition.

A light thinning as the first intervention will help to form wind firm trees, and like others said maintain a denser boundary.

I would focus the thin on trees of bad form and trees supressing others (i.e. if you have Ash supressing Oaks I would thin around the Oak), and looking to remove 20-30% of the canopy. I know your objectives are Amenity but I don't see why you cant grow good quality timber and still have a woodland focused on amenity and ecology.

The way you would do this would depend on the method you are using for felling and extraction. If you are going to be extracting with tractor and trailer you may want to cut racks (complete rows of trees) through for easy access? or if it is with a quad and trailer you may not need this.

Lazurus, the mill you have, is it the one advertised at 24"? I presume from the pictures that you can alter the mill to fit the 20" bar length?

For anything FC related (Felling Licence Application/Management Plan) you can request digital mapping data directly from the FC. Map Request (England)

Is this still required David? I work for Lockhart Garratt (Lockhart Garratt | Independent Consultants | Arboriculture | Ecology | Forestry | Green Infrastructure | Landscaping | Minerals | Northamptonshire) we might be able to do something, depending on location.

try John Hadley at Nene Valley Countryside Services https://www.facebook.com/Nene-Valley-Countryside-Services-633406606695762/

Peter Lord Forestry have a big purpose built chipper - 01476530718, based out of Grantham

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.