Last winter we began to coppice our birch woodland, and it is encouraging to see how quickly new growth is emerging from the cut trees. These stems are now 30 inches tall, and within 10-15 years should be ready to harvest for fuel.
Coppicing effectively “resets” the tree’s biological clock, and trees exist that have been continuously coppiced for a thousand years. Because the new growth utilises the existing root structure of the tree, regrowth is strong and quick. Certainly the new growth on this coppiced birch is over twice that of newly planted birch on the farm.
Willow is even more viorous, having grown to a height of 4 or 5 feet already. We’ll be planting more using cuttings from this new growth, for use as living fences and perhaps fuel, although the birch is growing so well that it may well suffice.