Coppicing Whitethorn

patsy_mccabe

I have a good bit of very high whitethorn I want to cut this winter. It's very high, maybe 25 feet. Normally I cut whitethorn with a chainsaw at about waist level, sometimes cut it clean and often lay the odd one. Being doing it this way for years, a lot of work but free fire wood for the winter.:)
This fence has 2 strands of high-tensile wire so it's well fenced in. I was planning on cutting it right at the ground. Would this be ok or would I be better to leave some height to it.
There's handy firewood in it, but I don't want to mess up the hedge.

mayota

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I have a good bit of very high whitethorn I want to cut this winter. It's very high, maybe 25 feet. Normally I cut whitethorn with a chainsaw at about waist level, sometimes cut it clean and often lay the odd one. being doing it this way for years, a lot of work but free fire wood for the winter.:)
This fence has 2 strands of high-tensile wire so it's well fenced in. I was planning on cutting it right at the ground. Would this be ok or would I be better to leave some height to it.
There's handy firewood in it, but I don't want to mess up the hedge.

Cut it just above the ground and at a south facing angle so the rain will run off and the sun will keep the stump dry. Great firewood but a lot of work with the small stuff.

barnaman

Patsy if doing it for Glas this might be useful; they cut it lower than it normally is.

www.hedgelaying.ie/images/1425402256.doc

memorystick

How late in the spring can you leave it until? If you cut in June, will the stump die or will it take off again the following year? They're a fair hardy plant.

mayota

memorystick wrote: »

How late in the spring can you leave it until? If you cut in June, will the stump die or will it take off again the following year? They're a fair hardy plant.

They'll die if cut in June. February would be the latest I'd say.

barnaman

Hedgrows can only be cut 01 September to 28th February. No cutting in June!

If you have wet land or happen to live in Ireland good luck cutting hedges this spring!

chezzie

barnaman wrote: »

Patsy if doing it for Glas this might be useful; they cut it lower than it normally is.

www.hedgelaying.ie/images/1425402256.doc

we applied for Glas but not accepted yet and are hedges are very badly overgrown and were thinking of cutting them now and also some trees on it for firewood, can we still go ahead with this

fepper

I went with hedgelaying for my sins on my application for glas 2,am kinda dreading doing that now as lads have said its a torturous and slow job on old hedgerows,way easier to cut clean and in fill with whips

Markcheese

fepper wrote:

I went with hedgelaying for my sins on my application for glas 2,am kinda dreading doing that now as lads have said its a torturous and slow job on old hedgerows,way easier to cut clean and in fill with whips

I've seen some trimmed right back with a hedge cutter then layed... as long as they dont make the main trunk too short.... on an old hedge you'll have to in fill with some slips as well.
The advantage of laying an older hedge is its stock proof from the start...

patsy_mccabe

It's not easy lay a hedge. You need something to pull them in the right direction. A small digger would be ideal, I'd say. A lot of the time they just break away too and you end up pulling them out.

This fella called to the door one day, offering his services. Hard to understand him. Bit of a funny accent.

Markcheese

patsy_mccabe wrote:

It's not easy lay a hedge. You need something to pull them in the right direction. A small digger would be ideal, I'd say. A lot of the time they just break away too and you end up pulling them out.

Something wrong if you need a minidigger :-)
A sharp slasher and hatchet or hedging knife, a small chainsaw and some rope , probaly a good idea to have thick gloves and safety glasses too

barnaman

Lads for GLAS Hedgelaying it all has to be done by hand! Have fun with the bushman! I did small sections years ago by hand and its a great job but very slow. Didit iwith bill hook, bushman, hedgeknife, stakes and scallops it is the definition of hard work! You would be tying the odd tree to a stake to keep it down where the hedge was gappy and nothing to lay it into. A fellow who would be 100 now if still alive made the scallops from hazel not something that easy to do.

fepper

Think you can use a circular saw machine to shape and narrow ur hedge but have to cut at near ground level to lay it manually by chainsaw or billhook and loads of sweat!! Gluttons for punishment