Since autumn appears to have arrived (and because it’ll take me weeks), I’ve made a start on coppicing over in the woods. Although it is mainly birch, I’ve started with an area that has some ash in it, to give the ash a fighting chance, and because it coppices far better than the birch, over which opinion seems to be divided as to its suitability for coppice. Younger trees will apparently coppice fine.
The trouble with felling in woodland like this, where the trees are very close together, is getting the first couple to fall into a gap, rather than ending up hung up on another tree. Once you’ve a bit of a clearing, then it gets easier, but the first couple involved a fair bit of hauling to get them right down.
I can’t afford to waste a single branch, and where larger scale coppicing would probably result in burning off all the fiddly bits and brash, I’ll keep it all for sticks. In the spirit of permaculture, I’ve found an ingenious way to use all the toppy bits and leaves of the ash trees, which results in nice clean branches. The answer is….
Mel. Horses and cattle love the leaves on ash trees, which used to get used as fodder buy Those Who Knew, but aren’t any more. Mel is especially taken with them and picks the braches clean for me. He gets a full tum and a break from eating rushes, and I get easy firelighters – everybody is happy.
It is good to know that a pile of firewood is building up, and by the time I’ve cleared my first coupe we should have enough to get through next year. It is slow going though, hence I’ve started a bit early. It’ll take weeks to shift and process it all.
Good Aul Mel. I’m being very ‘librariany’ about it and categorising them into piles.I’m stripping the leaves off by hand for leaf mould, the smaller twigs and branches for kindling and the larger and taller ones for poles for beans and peas.
Obviously it’s taking ages to do but on a day like today it was lovely to stand in the sunshine doing this and watching the ducks & hens in the garden.
Didn’t know that Ash made a good fodder crop. My cattle love eating the ivy from the trees. I have also read that nettle hay is excellent. Great to see your coppicing. Have you ever made hurdles or charcoal?
Haven’t tried the nettle hay, but I know that if I cut them, the horses will eat them once the stings have lost their bite. Can’t remember where I saw the ash thing, but they love it. Not tried hurdles, but I may try some charcoal – I made a little forge that I use for fixing bowl turning hooks, and it would be handy to have my own fuel for it.
The rushes I cut are drying in the field, with occasional turning, and should be ready to use in stables pretty soon. Seemed a shame to waste them.
Oh and I tried your potato cakes today and very good they were too. Have a request for a repeat performance, so thanks for that recipe.
Watched the video you recommended last night Steve, thanks! We (me and my family) were fascinated and want to know more, especially grassland management and adding other grass species. Do you have any good Permaculture book recommendations for smallholding farming?
Glad you enjoyed the potato cakes. Thanks again for your help.
The original one is ‘The Earth Care Manual’ by Patrick Whitefield. Also Sepp Holzer is the daddy of making amazing things happen on terrible soil, though he does like his diggers..
There’s a guy out in West Cork called Graham Strouts, and it might be worth hunting him down and going to see what he’s done. I think permaculture is one of those things thats easier to see in practise.
I’ll have a rummage and see what I can find. We’re mildly addicted to the potato cakes, and are about to have them with breakfast….
Not sure how far these guys are away from you but it looks like a damn cool place – http://thehollies.ie/
I have just subscribed for the Hollies newsletter Steve – Thanks. You’re right they are very near to us. It’s the pasture management that I am most interested in, especially how to over seed without ploughing. Enjoy your breakfast. Thanks again.