Comments on: Coppicing: An Introduction

By: Phil Hopkinson

Phil Hopkinson — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:16:41 +0000

Hi Hayley,
Below is a lnk to my website with all my prices for products listed.
The secret is to add value. For example putting a point on a hedgeing stake adds 10p to the price.
The tops fo Hazel make great pea sticks which can be sold very easily to local gardeners.
http://www.malverncoppicing.co.uk/woodland_products.html

By: Hayley D

Hayley D — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:56:01 +0000

Does anyone know how much hazel sells for at the moment. We have a potential project in a small area of woodland – hazel coppice. Its a great site and we would be doing all the work; coppicing the hazel with community groups and potentially moving it from the site. It would be brilliant if we could make this into a continuous project; with the hazel being sold onto local people if they want it. I am just not sure how much you can sell hazel for?
Any thoughts would be brilliant. Thanks, Ranger Hayley
PS: The site is nr Winscombe, Somerset.

By: Antonia R

Antonia R — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:38:27 +0000

Does anybody have experience of an old beech being coppiced successfully? We have a lovely tree, very large, but has been attacked by a fungus and is dying from the top down. We have had this confirmed by several tree surgeons and the local tree officer. I was on this site looking for information about coppicing an ash tree that we have, and saw that beech is suitable for coppicing. I know that it’s not ideal to coppice an old tree (this may be up to 300 years old — apparently Alan Titchmarsh came to see it a few years ago and estimated the age around 300) — but as things stand it needs to be felled. Would attempting to coppice it just finish it off, or is there a chance that it might pick up and get a second lease of life? It’s a beautiful tree, it seems a shame to just chop it down if there is any other option. Any thoughts / suggestions gratefully received.

By: Linda D

Linda D — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:26:43 +0000

I am familiar with hornbeam coppice (used for london fuel, ironwork charcoal respectively) from Coldfall Wood Haringey, and now from woods near Bethersden, Kent.
Both woods have amcient ditch and bank system with very old Hornbeam pollards and lapsed hornbeam coppice, where some of the stools are obviously old.
Question :
Is there any way (without counting rings obviously- which is difficult with the growth habit of hornbeam anyway) to estimate the rough age of Hornbeam coppice and pollard stools?

By: Ian Baldwin

Ian Baldwin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:28:13 +0000

Whoops, sorry Your Majesty (must not mis-spell her title, this could be treasonable!)

By: Ian Baldwin

Ian Baldwin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:25:17 +0000

Has the law been repealed that requires you to keep ’12 standils to the acre’? (i.e. 12 trees that will grow to maturity). This would maintain a more aesthetic lanscape as well as providing wood when required for building ships for Her Magesty’s navy!

By: Tony Wright

Tony Wright — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:00:52 +0000

Hi Phil, Thank you for your suggestion which does make sense to me. The oaks are about the diameter you mention, and if any of the cut oaks survive as well as the standing trees, I still have the option to coppice more of them next year to get the balance right. At present I am also very concerned about the drought we are experiencing and hoping the water table recovers enough in the autumn to promote regrowth; otherwise I may have to wait another year. Thanks again.

By: Phil Hopkinson

Phil Hopkinson — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:34:53 +0000

Hi Tony,
With regads to your Oak it depends on the diameter of the tree and their age. I have felled some Oak about 50 foot tall and between 8″ and 10″
diameter and they are regenerating nicely. Why not coppice the Sweet Chestnut and then thin out the Oak leaving about 33% canopy, that should allow enough light in for the Sweet Chestnut to regenerate.

By: Tony Wright

Tony Wright — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:39:57 +0000

I have some woodland here in France that is two thirds oak and one third sweet chestnut. Although the chestnut is multi trunked and was probably coppiced about 35 years ago, the oaks are single trunked. As all the trees are 40 to 50 feet tall and little light reaches the floor, I am considering coppicing, but my question is whether these oaks would survive coppicing now.

By: Karin Craddock

Karin Craddock — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:28:08 +0000

Message for Colin Hardeman and any other walking stick makers near Rolvenden Kent.
We have one year air seasoned hazel and cobnut staves for making walking sticks for sale. 10 staves £20.
For an appointment to view and make your selection please email info@farnellfarm.co.uk