Coppicing Hazel, Why, When & How
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- čas přidán 20. 12. 2020
- In this video I go through why, when and how to coppice hazel trees. I cover theory, tools and practice.
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Music: Moonrise by Reed Mathis free from Audio Library. - Krátké a kreslené filmy
I love that you used hand tools the whole time, no loud saws, no gas, just the sound of water and work.
Thanks! It’s definitely more peaceful in the woods without machines.
i would venture to say that while coppicing as it is known may be a management strategy employed by humans, these plants and their respective ecosystems have always been responding to the pressures of herbivores and even stampedes of megalithic creatures for example... so really coppicing is quite in line with evolutionary processes and the resetting of that natural succession, going back far more than we may recognize with our medieval and neolithic ancestors! Cheers
By far the best explanation and demonstration that I've seen on CZcams or indeed anywhere. Excellent.
Thanks for the comment!
excellent video! we've taken on a woodland and I'm really appreciative of the fact there are people like you sharing forestry management and silviculture techniques :)
When you're doing axe work I think more stress should be put on what you're doing in terms of the technique just incase someone emulates you and hacks themself in the leg!
Thanks, that’s a good idea!
Would be nice to see a follow up video of how the coppice looks a year on
This is THE best video about HOW TO COPICE- thank you.
Thank you!!
Thanks for the video. When I'm coppicing I mimic a more traditional method, whereby I cut the stool much lower to the ground. To my eyes these are cut in more of a copparding manner, useful perhaps to give the stool a fighting chance against rabbits? I believe the old boys felt that the stool was going to be more stable over time, when cut low. In any case, it's great to see active land management!
Great best in depth on the coppicing I have seen so far. We just got a woodland in Devon and hope to do willow and hazel coppiced for traditional hedge laying materials.
Thank you for your kind comment! Sounds like a great project, good luck!
I'mjust in the process of buying a woodland in Devon.
Who knows, we may woodland neighbours
@@danharte6645 That's great, good luck!
Nicely & sympathetically presented video - Bravo! The axe is clearly very sharp. You're maybe stronger than me but I prefer a lighter, single-handed axe - 1.5lbs - partly for manoeuverability and partly because the other hand (my left) is always in use to hold or to steady the wood. Once limbed, I find, if I have a decent stump or log to cut onto, I can cross-cut poles up to 2in in diameter with 2 blows - the first using near 100% effort, then rotate the stem 180deg as I am raising the arm for the second (50-70% effort). I also use an arborist's hand saw (curved, narrow blade, 4 TPI, cuts on the pull-stroke) as well as bowsaw as the former can often be used on the side of the stem in tension (ie towards the middle of the stool) and so only needs one cut and no notch.
Really enjoyed this, hadn't thought of using a bow saw to cut my Hazel trees, I was waiting for my husband to get the chainsaw out.
Thanks for your comment, hand tools are much more peaceful in the woodland and also warm you up in the cold winter air!
Chainsaw won’t cut through small branches cleanly.
In Sussex we would cover the cut trunks with the smaller off cuts to prevent deer from nibbling the new hazel shoots.
Good advice, thanks!
Very educational. Thank you very much. Even though I know a lot about hazels, I learned a great deal from this video.
Thanks for your comment!
Thank you for this! Not patronising at all just simple teaching - learned a lot and will subscribe
Thanks for the kind comment!
Fantastic video with some great tips and information, I would say coppicing can be considered to be natural as Beavers coppice trees, by me, in Scotland the have downed hazel and I have noticed the new shoots. I would assume people from long ago would have witnessed the same thing. I thought this video to be excellent, many thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for commenting. That is a very good observation about beavers and I think you are spot on!
Learned quite a bit. Thank you
I have found that a battery powered sawz-all works great for the limbing and cutting into tight places. Fast, clean and much quieter than a chainsaw.
Great video - Thank you .
I have a line of trees in my back garden (that have been left to grow by previous owners) that I have been recommended to coppice in order to flush out a hedge.
Glad you found it useful.
Thank you for this video. Would you do more videos on coppicing? I would like to see the place during the summer, as well as hear your thoughts on tree hay. Willow is loved by many animals fresh and when dried, it is a natural aspirin.
Thanks, I do have some more coppicing videos and plan on doing more. I like the idea of a summer video and will do one next summer.
It is called "tımar etmek" in Türkiye. Likewise technique has been the backbone for sustaining the "ocak" system (multi-branched shrub cultivation) for over ~100 years, and still is. It is nice seeing that traditional knowledge is appliable across the world.
Thanks for the comment, very interesting!
Thanks this is great. Currently coppicing now as we had a late long winter further north. Some of my trunks I’ve pleached and taken back underground to form ‘new’ trees where we need hedging / wind barriers.
Sounds good, laying hazel is a great way to expand your woodland at no extra cost.
Very nice
We have a hedge of Hazel, over the years I have cut them down severely and they come back so fast with beautiful straight shoots. Excellent for making fences, we also get loads and loads of Hazelnuts from it. I let the larger pieces from the bottom season and then you have a wonderfully fragrant firewood too. This summer, when they are done with the nuts I will only be taking down the ones that are bending towards the ground, if I don't they literally make an arbor that is almost impossible to penetrate.
That’s fantastic, hazel is an incredible resource. You are lucky to be able to beat the squirrels to the nut crop, well done!
@@bundufundi No squirrels here and the birds don't bother them!
Great video, thank you very much!!
Thank you, I really appreciate the feedback!
really great video
Thanks Ben, that is praise indeed! I think I have watched all your videos and in fact I bought the Rinaldi axe after seeing you recommend it.
Great video I studied forestry in college years ago but forgotten most of it as went into gardening now interested in woodlands again I need to improve my spiel! I never thought of coppacing as man made I know humans took advantage of the ability to coppice but thoughts its where the trees evolved alongside things like mammoths eating them and crashing them over to eat them so they've adapted to cope
Big up the Rinaldis Haha. Awesome mate lovely surroundings too. Miss coppicing like a limb tbh :,(
The Rinaldi axes really do punch above their weight I think.
Thanks for the support, much appreciated!
@@bundufundi yeah that's it I'd like just a tad longer handle on the American boys axe personally but they are still pretty great and actually serious tools not just toys.
Are red squirrels managed by trapping? This makes great sense. Thanks for showing and explaining!
Unfortunately, in this woodland Red Squirrels have been out competed by the non-native Grey Squirrel and no longer exist in this part of the country.
@@bundufundi Oops! I meant the other way around. Aren’t red squirrels native and the grays invasive?
Yes, the greys are the invasive ones! Sadly they are almost impossible to control except in geographically isolated areas where they have been successfully trapped. Native pine Martens which are small Mustelids have been re-introduced in some areas and seem to have some success controlling the greys.@@littlebrookreader949
@@bundufundi Wow, this is news to me. I appreciate your time and information! I’ve subscribed to the channel and been watching the programs. They are very good and much appreciated. Thanks, and all the best to you!
@@littlebrookreader949 thank you for you kind comment!
I am new to all of this and found your channel while searching for information on coppicing a Silver Birch in my garden - which I believe is possible? In any case I much enjoy your videos. You offer something a bit different - with an authentic and authoritative voice. Thanks. I have subbed and look forward to future videos. All the best.
Thank you for your kind comment! It is possible to coppice most native broadleaves in the UK but some do better than others. Silver Birch can be coppiced quite well if you do it when the tree is relatively young, less than 4" diameter approximately but it is less happy about it the older it gets. Birch is great for spoon carving if that interests you and you have some larger pieces after cutting.
@@bundufundi Thank you again - very reassuring. The birches I have a very small bare-rooted ones I bought and planted this winter. I want them to encourage birds in my garden, but wanted to be sure I should control their height over time. Your reply is therefore very helpful. Thanks.
Thanks so much for the video! Please, how soon after planting can you coppice for the first time?
Hello, here is a reposting one of my earlier comments: Firstly I would say you need to make sure that they have established and are growing well so you will need at least one season to assess this. Think about how well the root structure is developing from the original plant as that is what will provide the growth once you cut the stems so cutting too early will mean poor re-growth if the root system is under developed. Typically the earliest cut would be after 2-3 years but usually 5-8 years. It also depends on what product you want, if it is for basket weaving then you will cut earlier to get a smaller product, if it is for firewood then it would be towards the 5-8 year mark. Hope that helps.
One point. If one is coppicing and the poles aren't supremely long, remember that it's useful to have some stakes for laying hedges where the amount of material one's taking down might not provide the strengthening material desirable.
A hazel vs willow comparison would be nice.
Hi, I have now made a video on willow which you may be interested in: czcams.com/video/hnVzDxw_uyQ/video.html
My late dad planted my garden hazel for the wild life, now too big, so I now know what to do with his billhook. Grey squirrels also beat me to the nuts, however how to prune for max nuts ideally lower down?
If I want straight poles, best way to prune? Tom in Somerset
The gray squirrels are a pest here in the States where they came from. Sorry they made it over there to cause trouble for you as well....
You are the 1st I've ever heard call gray squirrels a pest?
Everyone I know that has been affected by them I know find them humorous
@@moseshenry6265 they dig holes in our irrigation ditches and the grass dies, so we have to spend money on hay instead. Pest.
Yes they are a pain here in the uk i never have any nuts left due to grey squirels😢
@@richiej5812meanwhile the squirrels think you’re the nicest person ever to grow all those nuts for them. :)
No
If you have your own copice fields that you look after is it better to do it like you did here every 10 years all the stems at once or is it better to just harvest some of the bigger ones once a year?
Great that you are using hand tools, awesome! Were in Britain is this exactly?
Hi, thanks for watching! This woodland is in North Wales. I agree, hand tools always allow more time for contemplation and appreciating your surroundings.
@@bundufundi plus it’s QUITER.
I Have been orcharding for some years myself. Why not take out the geriatric and dead wood leaving 8-10 ft younger t take over. It is possible this way to keep a large bush from 8-12 ft by repeating process.
Is there any research that supports full removal?
cheers
That approach can definitely work. It mostly depends on context and what the ultimate aim of the coppicing activity is. Historically many traditional coppice areas were aimed at achieving a uniform crop, similar sized poles for different tasks. In that sense full removal was beneficial and also was most most time efficient too. There is some evidence that full removal on any given stool stimulates faster and more robust regrowth from the stump so that can also be a consideration. For us, the regrowth is pruned out to achieve fewer but larger stems for firewood which are then subject to full removal at the end of the cycle.
Some good walking sticks in there. Just let them season for a year before shaping them.
Yebo!
Found many of your videos helpful when doing my Forest School training a couple of years ago, so hopefully you'll be able to help me with a bit of advice:
I'm about to plant 30 hazel whips (approx 1m - 1.5m in height, pencil thickness) to eventually be used as a working wood in my Forest School area. When should I be doing my first coppice? Should I allow them to establish for a few years before considering cutting them, or could I cut them soon after planting to encourage multiple shoots early on? Thanks
Hello, firstly I would say you need to make sure that they have established and are growing well so you will need at least one season to assess this. Think about how well the root structure is developing from the original plant as that is what will provide the growth once you cut the stems so cutting too early will mean poor re-growth if the root system is under developed. Typically the earliest cut would be after 2-3 years but usually 5-8 years. It also depends on what product you want, if it is for basket weaving then you will cut earlier to get a smaller product, if it is for firewood then it would be towards the 5-8 year mark. Hope that helps.
@@bundufundi Thanks, really appreciate the response. Planting is due to start tomorrow, so hopefully we'll have a working wood in a few years time...
@@tomp4590 Good Luck!
Don’t forget to protect the coppiced stools from deer with sheep netting or cut branches.I’ve seen stools killed off by them.Or cut the hazel 4-5 foot high.
In this case I thought it would be ok as there are no deer in the area however, sheep then got in and caused some damage! So yes, you are right, always best to try and protect the stool. Thanks!
Just a semantics note: If the Hazel is cut 4'-5' high, (to prevent deer browse) it is a practice known as "Pollarding" not "Coppicing."
When people talk about letting nature take its course, be mindful that humans are also part of nature.
Isnt the main benefit of the coppicing method, that it is self regrowing wood production?! A pine forest cut down has to be replanted by hand to be used again. A coppice of any kind just regrows by itself a number of times, so it produces fire wood for example more easily than a pine forest, which might be better for construction timber though. I would argue the fuel production for a single countryside household used to produced mainly through coppicing. I would say for a long long time, 3000+ years i would guess. It can also be used for making charcoal. One could also argue, that a days worth of firewood could be collected by a single person in one go, carried on the back by harvesting coppice (assuming you only heat a small living room and simultaneously cook with it). Coppiced woods are lighter, easier to cut than hard wood and therefore more easily collected.
You are practicing a traditional method. There is some value to that in itself.
That said, from a position of production and long term tree health, i would advise to just take out the old and leave younger (8year and younger) shoots.
Is there some research that shows complete coppice is superior to thinning. My understanding is that it is not.
It builds the soil once the roots sacrifice the large roots to balance itself out in comparison to shoots of the plant.
Thanks, interesting information!
What are the time frames of the next cut? How fast does it grow back?
It very much depends on where you i.e. how fast it will grow, as well as what you want to use the product for. In a year it will grow to about finger thickness so typically coppice rotations are between 5 to 15 years. If you need thin stems for smaller projects then 5 years might suit but if you want larger stems then some thinning and a final cut around 15 years might be better.
Hello and thank you. I'm digging up a hazel to give it to my son, she's 5-6 feet, 1.8 meters tall. I'm about 30 centimeters deep and around the base. the shoots are 2 centimeters, its August here, I appreciate any suggestions. The Hazel is too close to the house. Thank you
Hi, for the best results you should transplant in the dormant season, so in Autumn or Fall. Make sure you save as much of the roots as you can and keep them wet during the transfer to the new location. Good luck!
Were you originally from South Africa?
Great vid :)
Hi, thanks for the comment, yes originally from SA. Been over here a while now though.
Kolay gelsin 🇹🇷
Bill hook possibly useful also?
Yes indeed, thanks for your comment! I did in fact mention a billhook at 5:23 but I did not have a sharp one to hand so had to settle for the saw and axe. Billhooks are very useful tools but good quality versions seem to be quite hard to get hold of these days. If you know of a good source please add to the comments. Thanks!
Glad I checked that this comment had been made.
Apart from efficiency, a billhook also makes many of these operation a lot safer and controlled than when using an axe. I used to do a bit of coppice work decades ago. I am currently planting up a field with hazel, so perhaps my kids and grandkids will have the chance to enjoy it in the future. I still have my old tools and fairly regularly come across billhooks, slashers and axes at car boots. These are often in fairly beaten up condition so you do need to develop the skills to restore, sharpen and to make and fit new handles - another great pastime.
Great video but I want a massive “dwarf” hazel getting rid of. It was sold as a miniature but it’s too big for my garden!
😂
@@bundufundi you may laugh!😬
@@bundufundi is it possible to keep it back yearly if I can get on top of the height?
@@Neil2022 If you do a full prune every year it would probably weaken the tree too much and it would die off eventually. You can remove up to 25% of a mature tree each year (old branches and young shoots are often the best to take out) to give it a more open structure. Or you could train one central leader as a main stem to make it less shrub like.
@@bundufundi thanks, I had it cut back a couple of autumn ago to take the height and width off but it would appear it only encouraged massive growth.🤣😬
Hi what's the best way for stopping deer eating the new growth? Thanks
Hi, if you have deer in your area then you will definitely need to think about some form of control. Fencing is the best but can be very expensive depending on the area you want to protect. Disturbance can work to a degree if you have a dog and can spend a lot of time in or around the woodland to scare any deer away but this is obviously not foolproof! Ensure you cut in winter so the re-growth happens in spring when there is more food around and less reliance on the new buds. Many of the deer species are not native, do not have any natural predators and are abundant so culling is used as a control in some areas by licensed stalkers. It very much depends on your circumstances and preferences. Hope that helps.
Pollarding rather than coppicing could be a better fit with deer around.
Shoot the bastards! Not joking!
Pollarding was used to stop this. Although I don’t think hazel pollards well because it likes to sprout from the base. Ash, lime, sycamore, willow pollard well.
Zie wilgen tenen van Aalsburg, Hellouw. Nederland
can you recommend a reasonably priced bow saw?
The Bahco 21 is pretty decent and goes for around £20. The really cheap saws (£6) are probably not worth it.
@@bundufundi thank you
I have exactly the same saw as you se here , but Iwould think about a pruning saw instead . Much handier . You can get into places a bow saw can’t reach. Like wise I reckon a. Bill hook would be a lot handier than an axe for trimming those branches . And yes , I am seventy three and been doing this job since I was a kid
No mention of replanting Hazel like you can do with Willow "whips"?
I'd deliberately taken very small Hazel cuttings a couple of times some years, not very successfully, only 2 cuttings.
However, over the years, when I've shoved freshly cut walking stick width Hazel stakes into the fence as replacement posts, a surprising number of them have grown.
Just this morning, I went inspect some new, young Basket Willow cuttings and, of the Hazel stakes I'd put in the ground around them, 21 have good, firm, healthy leaves sprouting.
I'll be delighted if these have struck roots, as it just takes so long for Hazels to grow from seedlings (which I find in good number in my locality, but deer will demolish in a mouthful).
@@Debbie-henri I hope my 28 Hazelnuts survived the deer over winter - new tubling trees. Half of them I fenced off - the others are just in tree tubes. It's seasonal wetland so too much water right now for me. I have fencing but the 14 I need to fence each tree. I planted them farther apart.
Are you not supposed to left part of the tree? Other videos suggest cutting only 1/3
Typically in hazel coppice, the whole tree is removed. This encourages more vigorous growth from the stool and ensures that regrowth is of a similar size for future use.
Coppice has been proven as far back as 12000 BCE in the region surrounding the alps.
So yea, old on the scale of pottery.
Jambo bundu fundi - guess you are from Kenya?!!!
Sawubona Gavin, actually Zim and SA. Are you in Africa too?
@@bundufundi Actually living in Belgium but born and bred in Kenya and Uganda. Thanks for your video - I was looking to see how I should prune my hazel trees - very useful. Missing the African sunshine - I bet you are too!
@@gavinmacpherson5289 For sure! Nothing like African sunshine to make everything seem better. North West Wales is slightly wetter and colder!
It’s pretty much impossible to do this if there are lots of deer and if there are larger species they will go on their hind legs to reach high stumps :/.
Your stumps are too high on your first cut. Sloping to let the water run off is an unfounded myth. Sloping away from the stump enables the cut to get as low to the ground as possible.
catch and eat the squirrels more nuts less grey squirrels its a win win for all
Have to disagree with your summation of coppicing. It's not something humanity invented, nor is it only 1000 years old. Coppicing naturally occurs in the presence of large body herbivores. They will consume everything, down to the nub, and the following year when their migration circuit took them back along the same path, adventitious trees and shrubs would have sprouted out in multi stem bushes. And the cycle repeated. As humans expanded, they would come upon fields, possibly as far as the eye could see of 'pre-coppiced' vegitation managed entirely by wildlife since the beginning of time. They would utilize this for fuel, building and crafts. As animals were displaced from their historical migratory routes and areas, humans would have had to replicate the grazing process by harvesting from these stumps to maintain the benefit. I would stake my life on the fact that the process of coppicing by humans is as old as humanity itself. You just couldn't build a society passivly collecting deadwood for the fuel needs for an ascending society, it just doesn't exist in volume. It had to be made.
Really enjoyed this, hadn't thought of using a bow saw to cut my Hazel trees, I was waiting for my husband to get the chainsaw out.