- cut off each stem at ground level, except two or three of the longest
- cut these 3/4 of the way through so that the stalk can be bent to the ground, touching where you want to establish the new tree
- peg the stems to the ground, they will put down roots and new stools (coppice stumps) will be established.
Full Answer
How do you plan a coppice?
Plan a rotation. Divide the woodland into sections, or "coupes", to coppice in a staggered rotation. By having each section at a different stage of growth, you provide a variety of habitats for different woodland species.
How do I get Started with coppicing?
Give a thorough demonstration of coppicing before starting work. Demonstrate the correct lifting technique (bending the knee and keeping the back straight so that the leg muscles are used and the back is not strained).
What is coppice coppicing?
When an area of coppice is cut, it is all cut down, and creates a clearing. This periodic coppicing encourages the individual trees to live for up to hundreds of years.
Can you grow coppice from seed?
Planting and early care Try and obtain planting stock of local provenance. Many of the coppice species, notably sycamore, ash, birch and oak are easy to grow from seed and it is quite possible to gather your own seed and produce planting stock within two years. Willow is easy to propagate from cuttings, simply stuck...
How do you encourage coppicing?
To encourage lateral branching for screening purposes cut tree trunks to about 6 to 10 feet above the ground leaving the side branches to fill in for privacy. Prune Eucalyptus trees for a hedge at the end of their second growing season, removing about a third of their height and cutting in pyramid shape.
Can you coppice an old tree?
You can coppice at any time of year, but you'll achieve the best results by coppicing trees when they're dormant and leafless.
How do you make a coppice shrub?
Trees and shrubs should be coppiced in late winter or early spring when the plants are dormant. Then they are cut down near or at ground level, creating a stump, known as the “stool.” The cut stems can be harvested, and new shoots will grow during spring or the next growing season.
What kind of trees can be coppiced?
Coppicing/Pollarding Explained The best trees for either technique are deciduous trees that don't “bleed” too much (such as maple). Oak, hazel, ash, chestnut, and willow work well.
When should you start coppicing?
When to coppice. Coppice trees and shrubs in late winter or early spring (February to March), just before they come into active growth. Shrubby Cornus and willows grown for winter stem colour are now typically pruned from late March to mid April, just as the new growth is developing.
Can PINE be coppiced?
Unlike deciduous trees, conifers cannot readily be coppiced. However, stump culture is a similar method of preserving the root system of the tree and allowing it to regenerate.
What is the difference between coppicing and pollarding?
It involves cutting multiple stems down to the ground. This encourages the plant to send up vigorous new shoots. Pollarding is similar to coppicing but plants are cut back to a stump, rather than down to the ground. Use a saw to remove all the branches from the tree at the trunk height you've chosen.
How do you start a hazel coppice?
For best results and more robust stems, coppicing on a rotation of at least every 5-10 years is recommended, as this gives the roots a chance to establish. When tackling a hazel, remove branches in stages. Take out the outer stems first and work your way into the centre of the stool.
What trees can be coppiced UK?
In the UK the main trees that are coppiced are sweet chestnut, hazel and hornbeam. Chestnut has traditionally been used for fencing whereas hazel is more likely to have been used for thatching, hedge-laying spars and hurdle making. Hornbeam was used for charcoal making.
Can birch be coppiced?
Birch tend to respond well to coppicing in their youth. Fire and grazing are often the reason you see multi-stemmed birch in the wild. If you have a trunk any thicker than your wrist I wouldn't attempt it.
Why is coppicing good for wildlife?
Coppicing can also help to increase the diversity of trees in a woodland, by leaving certain species to reach maturity, whilst other, more numerous species, can be repressed. The wood gathered can then be left in piles, providing great habitat for a large variety of invertebrates, mosses, lichens and fungi.
Can you coppice a conifer?
What you must do is gently and lightly cut off the outermost branch tips and deceased or old branches, if any. This is done during dormancy so they can grow and become more full when the tree pushes new growth in spring. It's important to remember that the species of the tree matters for the best pruning time.
How to coppice a stool?
The procedure for coppicing first requires you to clear out foliage around the base of the stool. The next step in coppicing techniques is to prune away dead or damaged shoots . Then, you work from one side of the stool to the center, cutting the most accessible poles.
What does "coppice" mean in French?
Image by allou. The word ‘coppice’ comes from the French word ‘couper’ which means ‘to cut.’. What is coppicing? Coppicing pruning is trimming trees or shrubs in a way that encourages them to sprout back from the roots, suckers, or stumps. It is often done to create renewable wood harvests.
What is coppicing a tree?
Essentially, coppicing is a way of providing a sustainable harvest of tree shoots. First, a tree is felled. Sprouts grow from dormant buds on the cut stump, known as a stool. The sprouts that arise are allowed to grow until they are of the correct size, and then are harvested and the stools allowed to grow again.
When was coppicing important?
The practice of coppicing pruning was particularly important before humans had machinery for cutting and transporting large trees. Coppicing trees provided a constant supply of logs of a size that could be easily handled.
What trees are good for coppicing?
Plants Suitable for Coppicing. Not all trees are plants suitable for coppicing. Generally, broadleaf trees coppice well but most conifers do not. The strongest broad leaves to coppice are: Ash. Hazel. Oak. Sweet chestnut. Lime.
How to coppice chestnuts?
The basic procedure for coppicing chestnut is as follows: Clear out all leaves and other debris around the base of the stool. Cut and clear away any dead or dying stems. Progressively cut each stem starting with the most accessible sections and working in to the centre of the stool.
What is C oppicing?
C oppicing is a woodland management method in which the wood from a tree is harvested by cutting a suitable tree near ground level. It subsequently regrows over a period of years without needing to be replanted.
How far should I cut a spruce tree?
Ideally one cut should be made about 1-2 inches above where the branch grows out of the stool. That cut should be angled some 15 to 20 degrees from horizontal with the lowest point facing outwards from the centre of the stool. In some cases it maybe necessary to make a first cut higher and then trim back as above.
What trees are coppiced in the UK?
In the UK the main trees that are coppiced are sweet chestnut, hazel and hornbeam. Chestnut has traditionally been used for fencing whereas hazel is more likely to have been used for thatching, hedge-laying spars and hurdle making. Hornbeam was used for charcoal making.
What is coppicing timber?
Coppicing, either for conservation or to produce timber involves periodic cutting of trees using traditional felling techniques, stacking the timber afterwards and leaving some brushwood to rot down.
How many people should sort wood before burning?
Two people should sort the wood before it is stacked or burnt. Stacking and clearing should be done thoroughly to avoid problems later. Make sure clearing and stacking keep pace with felling. Timber which is to be seasoned should be stored as a cord – prior to removal from the wood.
How to save a stoma?
Time spent on this will save problems and avoid accidents. Remove any young growth around the outside of the stool. Cut as close to the ground as possible. Make certain that other people are at least twice the distance of the height of the stems you are about fell .
Do you need a chainsaw operator for coppice work?
Sometimes a chainsaw operator may be needed in coppice work. Only those individuals holding a TCV chainsaw card may use one on any site where TCV staff, volunteers or local groups covered by TCV insurance are working. To get a card you must have a National Proficiency Test Council (or equivalent) certificate and be able to provide evidence of continuing competence. Operators must wear protective safety clothing and equipment.
Do coppices burn regrowth?
It may still be necessary in coppice work to use fires to burn excess regrowth. Situate it so that the smoke does not blow across the work area but close enough to minimise the amount of dragging.
Can you cut a tree that has been coppiced before?
In cases where it has been coppiced before and there is a lot of regrowth it is easier to cut higher than this, where the stems are more separate and the weight is less, and to trim the stump afterwards. During the early stages many trees will get hung up. To untangle these, lift the butt and pull it briskly away.
What is the use of coppice trees?
Here are some great uses for coppicing and pollarding: Firewood: Coppiced trees can provide a regular supply of firewood for heat and cooking. Coppicing works especially well with highly efficient wood-burning systems like rocket mass heaters and rocket ovens.
Why is coppicing important?
Why Coppicing is Amazing for Your Property. A rocket oven is a great way of cooking food, using wood harvested through coppicing or pollarding. Since a rocket oven uses small pieces of wood a short cycle coppicing can easily provide you all the wood you need to cook your own food in a rocket oven.
What is a copse tree?
A thicket of trees being managed with coppicing is called a copse. Traditionally, a copse was managed in sections, or coups, which were harvested on a cycle that allowed for yearly harvests. The number of coups was based on how long a coppiced tree needed to reach the desired size based on the intended use.
What is coppicing in forestry?
Coppicing is a sustainable forestry technique that uses nature’s capacity for regeneration to continually harvest wood from a living tree. Many hardwood trees will attempt to regrow after being cut down.
How long does it take for a tree to pollard?
Livestock Food: Trees can be coppiced or pollarded on a short cycle of 2-3 years to provide regular food for livestock. Historically, this was called tree hay. Chop-and-Drop: Coppicing and pollarding is also a great way to create a large amount of biomass/mulch as largescale chop-and-drop.
How is pollarding different from coppicing?
The main difference is that pollarding involves cutting the tree at a specific height above the ground depending on the situation. By cutting the tree above the ground, the resulting new growth can be above the reach of livestock or deer.
What trees are coppiced?
Other trees that were traditionally coppiced include ash, maple, oak, chestnut, elm, hazelnut, and elderberry.
