what trees can you coppice

What trees can you coppice? Many types of deciduous tree can be coppiced: Alder, Ash, Beech, Birch (3-4 year cycle), Hazel (7 year cycle), Hornbeam, Oak (50 year cycle), Sycamore Sweet Chestnut

(15-20 year cycle), Willow but Sweet Chestnut, Hazel (7 year cycle), and Hornbeam are the most commonly coppiced tree species currently.

Full Answer

What kind of trees can be coppiced?

Chestnut: Chestnut trees have long been coppiced throughout the world. The wood is of high quality while also providing an edible nut. Other tree species that adapt well to coppicing or pollarding include ash, elm, oaks, and several others.

What is the best wood to use for a coppice?

Oak and ash are common standards, and often harvested for timber (on a much slower cycle than the coppice). Beech is not recommended due to its dense canopy.

What are the best leaves to coppice?

The strongest broad leaves to coppice are: The weakest are beech, wild cherry, and poplar. Oak and lime grow sprouts that reach three feet (1 m.) in their first year, while the best coppicing trees – ash and willow – grow much more. Usually, the coppiced trees grow more the second year, then growth slows dramatically the third.

Should I Coppice a tree near my house?

For instance, if you have a large tree close to your home planted in clay soil, coppicing the tree will slow down the growth of its roots thereby curbing the threat of subsidence. Removing the tree is an option, but that would mean you have lost your tree.

Can conifers 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.

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.

Can you coppice an oak?

Some common and reliable coppicing trees include oak, ash, hazel, sweet chestnut, sycamore, willow, most alder species, and lime. The yew, monkey puzzle, and coast redwood can be coppiced despite being conifers.

Can any tree be pollarded?

The best examples for pollarding include the broadleaves such as beeches (Fagus), oaks (Quercus), maples (Acer), hornbeams (Carpinus), planes (Platanus) and a few of the conifers, such as yews (Taxus).

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.

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 cherry trees be coppiced?

The main tall growing trees such as oak, beech and ash provide the upper canopy for nesting birds. This is underplanted with a layer of smaller trees and shrubs which may be coppiced: white willow, wych elm, hornbeam, bird cherry, hazel and lime.

Do maple trees do coppice?

Red maple (Acer rubrum) is an exceedingly common eastern tree species that often naturally exhibits a multi-stemmed. It undeniably lends itself to coppice management.

Can you coppice poplar trees?

Coppicing trees for a renewable source of wood is an ancient practice, the only thing that is special about modern, hybrid willows and hybrid poplars is that they grow so quickly and so are harvested frequently, hence the plantation is called a Short Rotation Coppice (SRC).

Which tree is suitable for pollarding purpose?

Examples of trees that do well as pollards include broadleaves such as beeches (Fagus), oaks (Quercus), maples (Acer), black locust or false acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia), hornbeams (Carpinus), lindens and limes (Tilia), planes (Platanus), horse chestnuts (Aesculus), mulberries (Morus), Eastern redbud (Cercis ...

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.

Which trees are best for pollarding?

For most trees, the best time to pollard them is late winter or early spring....Only certain types of trees are suited to pollarding, including:Horsechestnut (Aesculus)Maple (Acer)Oak (Quercus)Redbud (Cercis)Sycamore (Platanus)Tulip tree (Liriodendron)Willow (Salix)Yew (Taxus)More items...•

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.

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.

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 the weakest tree in the world?

Willow. The weakest are beech, wild cherry, and poplar. Oak and lime grow sprouts that reach three feet (1 m.) in their first year, while the best coppicing trees – ash and willow – grow much more. Usually, the coppiced trees grow more the second year, then growth slows dramatically the third.

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.

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 tree species are good for coppices?

Below we look at a few of the best tree species for coppice forestry practices. Alder: The alder species is a quickly growing, nitrogen-fixing tree that offers quality wood for fuel. When interspaced throughout orchards, alder trees offer an abundant source of nitrogen to the system.

What is coppice forestry?

Coppice forestry, the practice of cutting certain species of trees down to their stump to harvest for firewood or wood for other purposes and then allowing these stumps to send up new growth has been practiced for thousands of years. Henry VIII, the king of England in the mid-1500´s, issued a statute that required woodsmen to fence in patches ...

What is the best wood for nitrogen fixing?

The coppiced wood that is harvested from alder trees makes for a great fuel source. Black Locust: Another nitrogen fixing tree species, black locust is some of the hardest wood available which is excellent as a fuel source. The abundant flowers on black locust also attract several pollinating insects onto your land.

Can you use willow branches as mulch?

Willow: Willow trees are known for their quick growth, especially in wet areas and along streams and rivers. When coppiced, willow branches can be used for artisan basket weaving or also as a source of mulch.

Can a tree grow back after being cut down?

It seems almost miraculous: you cut a tree down to its stump, and a couple years later it has grown several meters high once again. Like that mythical dragon who grows two heads for every one you cut off, there are dozens of different species of trees who have an incredible ability to regrow after severe cutting.

Is elderberry a good coppice tree?

Elderberry: This is one of the few tree species that is both a food source and a good candidate for coppice forestry practices. The small berry clusters of the elderberry are extremely high in nutrients and vitamins and are known to strengthen the immune system. The wood is relatively soft and can easily be passed through a wood chipper ...

What is coppicing in woods?

Coppicing is an old, even ancient, woodland management technique. It involves the cutting of certain trees to stumps, or stools, which then grow new shoots for you to harvest. Depending on how large the shoots are allowed to grow, they can become firewood, fences, roof thatching, weaving, charcoal, or furniture.

What trees sprout when stump is small?

Beech, birch, wild cherry, Italian alder, and some poplar species are less desirable choices, either sprouting weakly or only sprouting while the stump is fairly small. 2. Start with young trees if possible. Younger trees are much more likely to grow back healthy and vigorous after severe pruning.

Why do you pollard a tree?

You can instead pollard the tree, meaning cut it at a higher point on the trunk. The traditional purpose of pollarding is to keep shoots away from livestock. Today, it is sometimes used as a windbreak or for aesthetic reasons. Except for the height, pollarding is identical to coppicing.

How to cut a tree stump to get more sunlight?

Slice the stumps at an angle to promote water runoff. This is a traditional technique for reducing rot and fungal disease. It's not clear how much of an effect this has, but it is an easy step to take. Aim for an angle around 15 to 20 degrees. Angle the cut to receive more sunlight so it dries more quickly after rain.

Can conifers regrow after coppicing?

Most conifers (trees with needle leaves) will not regrow after coppicing. Some common and reliable coppicing trees include oak, ash, hazel, sweet chestnut, sycamore, willow, most alder species, and lime. The yew, monkey puzzle, and coast redwood can be coppiced despite being conifers. [2]

Do you need to replace old stumps?

Plant new trees as stumps die off. Stump death in most species is unrelated to the number of times the tree has been cut back, so there is no need to replace old stumps. Prune or fell mature "standards" (if using) to reduce canopy cover to 30% at the start of each coppice cycle.

Do broadleaf trees sprout after coppicing?

Most broadleaf trees will sprout after coppicing, although species with good disease resistance are more likely to stay healthy. [1] X Trustworthy Source Royal Horticultural Society Leading gardening charity in the U.K. providing resources for identifying, growing and caring for flowers and other plants Go to source.

What trees are coppiced?

Other trees that were traditionally coppiced include ash, maple, oak, chestnut, elm, hazelnut, and elderberry.

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.

What is pollarding in maple trees?

Pollarding is basically coppicing but with the harvest cut made up high resulting in a trunk or "pole" with a bunch of growth on top. The left side pic is a big leaf maple that regrew after being logged. As you learn about coppicing, you might hear the term pollarding. Pollarding is actually very similar to coppicing.

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.

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 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.

What is a coppiced tree?

A coppiced wood is cut periodically, with the trees allowed to regrow from the cut stumps, called stools. This produces numerous shoots or poles rather than one main stem. Regrowth can be very fast, often as much as two metres in a year. These stools can be coppiced indefinitely to provide a self-renewing source of wood.

What is a coppice without standards?

A coppice without standards was called a simple coppice . The underwood storey can be dominated by one, or contain a mix of species such as hazel, alder, ash, crab apple, field maple, oak, goat willow, small-leaved lime, sweet chestnut and wych elm, beech and hornbeam.

How many hectares of coppiced woodland were there in 1965?

By 1965, the area of coppiced woodland was as low as 30,000 hectares.

What is coppicing in woodland?

Coppicing is a traditional form of woodland management that has shaped many of the remaining semi-natural woodlands in the UK. Periodic cutting actually prolongs the life of the tree as well as creating a rich mosaic of habitats, attracting a wide range of flora and fauna. Woods that have not been coppiced tend to be of the same age and structure, ...

Where did coppicing originate?

Traditional crafts. The practice of coppicing dates back to Neolithic times. Evidence suggests the Romans coppiced large areas of the Wealdon woodlands to fuel their iron works. Later, records in the Domesday Book of 1086 show that coppicing was widespread in lowland England.

What was underwood used for?

The underwood was a valuable product so little was wasted. Building and fencing materials and firewood were the most common uses , with the twigs used as faggots, but also the supple young shoots were used for hedging.

What plants are carpeted in spring?

In the second or third year, spring flowers, such as bluebells, oxlips, violets, primroses, wood anemones, ground ivy, yellow archangel and water avens, will carpet the ground.