Restoring traditional methods of woodland management...
Pollarding is a traditional woodland management technique which involves the cutting of trees, however it differs from coppicing by cutting tree stumps to a height of approximately 2m to 5m above ground (as opposed to near ground level in coppicing). The higher cut prevents the fresh young, palatable shoots from being grazed by herbivores such as cattle, sheep and deer. Over grazing of coppice shoots resulted in negative impacts on the regrowth of coppiced trees, pollarding prevented such issues and was historically most common in wood pastures where grazing animals reside alongside widely spaced trees. Pollarded trees on woodland boundaries also served as a useful boundary marker.
Pollarding is still a woodland management practised today and offers a beneficial long term technique to preserve our tree stock. Greenscapel can undertake both re-pollarding of old pollarded stems, or a first time pollard cut such as the example shown in the lime tree pollard below.
Coppicing
Coppicing refers to the cutting of trees to almost ground level to encourage new growth from the stump or roots of a tree. The method is usually deployed within a rotational woodland management whereby individual 'copses' are cut on a rotational cycle typically between 7 to 25 years. The cut stems are harvested and can be used for a number of purposes including green woodworking, fencing and hedging.
Coppicing is of great benefit to biodiversity through the increase in sunlight reaching the ground floor which encourages an abundance and rich variety of woodland wildflowers to flourish.
Coppicing can be used as a management technique for a range of tree species including oak, hazel, maple, sweet chestnut, lime and ash.
The arboriculture team at Greenscape includes a number of NPTC, RFS and Lantra certified chainsaw and brushcutter operators which can undertake coppicing and woodland management on your site. The team can provide the necessary logistical and practical support to coordinate the removal of coppice products around the woodland or off site if necessary.