Description
The practice of coppicing trees for firewood and home use was largely left in Old England and Europe where woodlands were scarce and fiercely guarded by nobility.
Rather than cutting down a mature trees for firewood and pulling the stump or letting it rot, coppicing of young trees allows much of the stored carbon to remain in the ground as roots and for the soil life to remain active as the tree continues to regenerate above ground.
This kit contains 16 trees that are ideal for rotational coppicing for firewood and other woodland crafts like hurdles for fencing and pea sticks for the garden. They should be planted about 10 feet apart to allow for growth between cuttings. Tighten the planting by using a diamond pattern rather than columns and rows.
4 Quaking Aspen | Populus tremuloides
Poplar Short Rotation Coppice Plantations under Mediterranean Conditions: The Case of Spain gives a good overview of poplar cultivation in other countries, too.
4 American Plum | Prunus americana
Forms thickets and makes an excellent coppice firewood, but is less ideal due to the small size of its trunks. The wood is heavy, hard, and strong, but the primary advantage of using it as coppice fuel is its ability to be harvested repeatedly from dense thickets, providing a sustainable and renewable biomass source for home heating
4 American Hazel | Corylus americana
4 Paper Birch | Betula papyrifera
Coppicing Birch at Worcester College, UK
Every kit comes with a tree tag for each tree and a notebook to bring your plans into the next generation or home owner. The notebook contains room for your planting map, notes about maintenance you’ve carried out and citizen science. Additionally, it includes information on: site choice and preparation; a planting guide; protection recommendations; water, mulch and pruning recommendations and notes; 1st year and longer-term management tips, and a list of trees that came with your kit including details on fruit/nut bearing, growth patterns and, if applicable, hedge management guidelines.