Thursday 7th March 2024
Hazel Coppicing
Our grove of Hazel trees is located at the top of the arboretum, along the fence line that neighbours Knighton Hall. They have never been coppiced. Coppicing is the practice of cutting back the growth down to the stump, or stool, as it is traditionally called.
On the last visit of the tree inspector it was pointed out that the practice of coppicing should be considered for our hazels.
It is usually carried out in a 5 to 7 year cycle. The hazels are divided into 5 to 7 groups and each year a different group is coppiced.
Coppicing produces lots of useful material, as the tree grows with a straight habit.
Coppicing invigorates the tree so it produces new growth from the stool. It also permits sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor, encouraging plant life to flourish.
Today we were joined by Rachel, from the Botanic Gardens, and her trusty chainsaw. While Rachel cut, I dragged the pieces away from the working area whilst the volunteers lopped and sorted the product into useful piles.
Not only have we cleared a good section of Hazel, but we have ended up with a surprisingly large amount of cut hazel. This has been temporarily stacked on one side.
Plans are now in place to use these materials to build hazel hurdle fences. Specifically, a badger hide at the top of the arboretum and a bird hide down near the pond area.
Useful Link: More on Hazel Coppicing
