|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coppices
|
|
|
|
After many years of coppicing hazel stools will become gradually weaker and cease to regrow or grow fewer less vigourous new shoots. When this happens new plants need to be established. The traditional method is to layer a stem from an existing stool. This is cheaper than buying new plants and more productive than planting seed.
First a stem is lowered onto the ground using a pleach cut, in the same way a stem is lowered for hedge laying. This is shown in the picture on the right.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The lowered stem is held in place with pegs as show above. The pegs are cut from an ash tree felled earlier in the year.
The result can be seen on a stem which layered about 18 months ago, several new plants are sprouting from side buds which are supported by roots growing from the bottom of the stem.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Where the stem touches the ground the bark is gently scraped away to expose the cambium layer below the bark. This layer is between the bark and the sapwood and is the source of all growth in a tree. Where the stem is in contact with the damp earth it is stimulated to grow roots, wit is in the light it is stimulated to grow new shoots. For more information see www.backyardnature.net or the BTCV Woodland Handbook
|
|
|
|
Clearing brambles from relatively young hazel to make room for coppicing hazel for mainly beanpoles and pea sticks. Not a lot left over to fuel the fire as everything harvested had a value. One of our objectives was to select a suitable stem of hazel for layering next spring. This is a useful propagation technique which the Group will undertake in the early spring
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elm coppicing in an expanded field hedge known as a shaw at Bore Place. This is to prevent the recurrence of dutch elm beetle infestation which attacks maturing elm trees as they reach 15-20 years of age. The trees are therefore coppiced on a regular cycle to keep the shaw healthy. Volunteers had a chance to practice their tree felling skills once all the brambles and scrub had been removed.
English Elm is unusual in that all the trees were propagated by suckers not by seed and had spread from very few, possibly a single, original plant. As all the Elms were genetically identical they were very susceptible to Dutch Elm disease because they no natural immunity because there was no diversity due to natural sexual selection..
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Standing dead wood
Beetle damage under the bark
|
|
|
|
