SIlver Birch Coppicing/Pollarding advice needed.

[tangojuliette]

Dear Bushcraftuk Community,

I just joined this forum in search for some pointers/advice from the community. (I would like to preface that I am not knowledgeable about bushcraft and the only knowledge I have if any are recreational videos from the US based Outdoor Boys Youtube channel.. nor is my question directly related to bushcraft) I have been tasked to source 5-10 Silver Birch timber poles for a garden project and was lead to this website from Google by a thread titled 'Coppicing Silver Birch' initially posted by Nickliv on Feb 18, 2010.

I fear my question might be a little off topic but I am trying to gather as much info as possible and hope I could consult the knowledge of this community as I see lots of members with coppicing experience and sincerely hope someone could shed some light towards my search for methods/ leads to source this within the UK? Whether coppicing/ pollarding can be done to silver birch trees and whether it is possible to find sustainably gathered stock that is 3m tall? (The 3 meter height is more critical than diameter of the stock) But out of curiosity what would be the most common diameter and length for coppiced timber poles? Any info and leads would be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time and advice!!

 

[C_Claycomb]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I don't know about coppice, but I am curious that birch has been specified for a garden project. Usually people want garden projects to be cheap and/or long lived. Birch isn't particularly strong and rots quickly if the bark is left on.

Hopefully someone will be along to answer your question. Its a good question, much more interesting than many openers we have had!

Chris

 

[Broch]

Welcome to the forum

Whereas Silver Birch can be coppiced it is not often done. It only really works well if the trees are coppiced when young (less than 15 years old). Also, it is usually only coppiced for firewood - the poles rot quite quickly if not completely dry so have little use for green craft. If the idea is that you have white barked poles, I think you will be disappointed.

Sorry to be a pessimist!

 

[slowworm]

Why do you want coppiced poles, would a pole cut for thinning not suffice? Birch can be planted as a nurse crop and cut out at first thinning an just left to rot, so you could possible get hold of some.

You could ask over on arbtalk.co.uk if you don't get much luck here.

 

[tangojuliette]

.

 

[Toddy]

How quickly do you need it ?

Silver birch is a weed around here. I pull out literally hundreds from every planter and border, and spaces betweed pavers, in the garden every year.
If I didn't I wouldn't get out the door in couple of years.

They grow thickly, where their windblown seeds gather. They grow tall and straight up stretching for the light, but they don't shadow out the understorey as other trees do. Kind of light and airy and open canopy from them.
They're not long lived trees by our reckoning; by fifty or sixty years they're getting old. I'm told that elsewhere they can live longer, but the local ones start to shatter and die back. We get a lot of fungi on the ones around here. Useful fungi

What I'm getting at is that if you have a few years, just grow them. If you want seeds, wait until Summer and I'll happy brush up the paths and send you thousands.

Curious as to why you want 3m silver birch poles though
Not terribly durable, but nice timber for small things, toys, tool handles, cups, etc., and veneer.
Bark is useful too

It's a nice tree to have around, apart from the seeds getting everywhere, not at all noxious.

 

[tangojuliette]

Welcome to the forum

Whereas Silver Birch can be coppiced it is not often done. It only really works well if the trees are coppiced when young (less than 15 years old). Also, it is usually only coppiced for firewood - the poles rot quite quickly if not completely dry so have little use for green craft. If the idea is that you have white barked poles, I think you will be disappointed.

Sorry to be a pessimist!

Hello Broch, happy to be here. Thank you for the insight! Can I infer Silver Birch are not considered to pe of particular value and that my best bet would be best to contact woodland management companies directly and express my interest in Silver Birch (with bark intact) before they are chopped up as firewood?

What is the general growth height and trunk diameter if harvested less than 15 years old? (How old will the silver birch be at around 12-15cm in diameter?) Thank you!

 

[tangojuliette]

Why do you want coppiced poles, would a pole cut for thinning not suffice? Birch can be planted as a nurse crop and cut out at first thinning an just left to rot, so you could possible get hold of some.

You could ask over on arbtalk.co.uk if you don't get much luck here.

Hello slowworm, thank you for you response! I might not be using the correct terminology, are coppiced poles the 'first harvested cut'? Whereas pole cut refers to the thinner growth that comes after? Is it possible for pole cuts to reach 3m in height? Thanks!

Thank you very much for the arbtalk lead! Will head over as suggested

 

[Nice65]

Birch is usually the first tree to colonise land. It grows quickly from the widely scattered seeds and provides shelter for slower growing species like Oak. The trees are short lived and rot quickly, providing nutrients for other plants. It’s not a building wood, but you mention casting, so I’m not sure your usage.

Doesn’t really coppice, as mentioned. If it’s cut, it doesn’t throw up shoots like Chestnut or Hazel. You’d need thinnings. We used to cut a lot out of the Chestnut coppice that’s grown here for fence poles, staves, walking sticks etc. Now Chestnut does last, hence it’s a crop here. It’s so loaded with tannins nothing really grows beneath it.

That would be my choice for an outdoor structure, the straight poles aren’t a million miles away from looking like Birch in form, but they’re not silver/white.

 

[tangojuliette]

How quickly do you need it ?

Silver birch is a weed around here. I pull out literally hundreds from every planter and border, and spaces betweed pavers, in the garden every year.
If I didn't I wouldn't get out the door in couple of years.

They grow thickly, where their windblown seeds gather. They grow tall and straight up stretching for the light, but they don't shadow out the understorey as other trees do. Kind of light and airy and open canopy from them.
They're not long lived trees by our reckoning; by fifty or sixty years they're getting old. I'm told that elsewhere they can live longer, but the local ones start to shatter and die back. We get a lot of fungi on the ones around here. Useful fungi

What I'm getting at is that if you have a few years, just grow them. If you want seeds, wait until Summer and I'll happy brush up the paths and send you thousands.

Curious as to why you want 3m silver birch poles though
Not terribly durable, but nice timber for small things, toys, tool handles, cups, etc., and veneer.
Bark is useful too

It's a nice tree to have around, apart from the seeds getting everywhere, not at all noxious.

Hello Toddy, your garden sounds like a dream! Where abouts are you based? I live in London and in an apartment block at that.. not a lot of greenery for me unfortunately.

I am trying to see if I can find a sustainable/reasonable way to source approx 5-10, 3m tall birch poles for a garden project. These poles will be made into a negative mold, and casted to retain the impression of the birch tree bark as a feature wall.

I understand coppicing to be a method used to maintain forests, so am exploring this idea to see if my understanding is true and whether it is possible to align my needs with someone else's. Re timeline, I would need this relatively soon, accounting for time to dry, tentatively April/May 2025?

 

[tangojuliette]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I don't know about coppice, but I am curious that birch has been specified for a garden project. Usually people want garden projects to be cheap and/or long lived. Birch isn't particularly strong and rots quickly if the bark is left on.

Hopefully someone will be along to answer your question. Its a good question, much more interesting than many openers we have had!

Chris

Hi C_Claycomb, thank you for your warm welcome and reply! I did not know Birch isn't particularly strong and rots quickly if the bark is left on.

In this instance I am looking to source these coppiced poles with the bark intact that will be made into a mold, to be casted and retain the impressions of the bark.

 

[tangojuliette]

Birch is usually the first tree to colonise land. It grows quickly from the widely scattered seeds and provides shelter for slower growing species like Oak. The trees are short lived and rot quickly, providing nutrients for other plants. It’s not a building wood, but you mention casting, so I’m not sure your usage.

Doesn’t really coppice, as mentioned. If it’s cut, it doesn’t throw up shoots like Chestnut or Hazel. You’d need thinnings. We used to cut a lot out of the Chestnut coppice that’s grown here for fence poles, staves, walking sticks etc. Now Chestnut does last, hence it’s a crop here. It’s so loaded with tannins nothing really grows beneath it.

That would be my choice for an outdoor structure, the straight poles aren’t a million miles away from looking like Birch in form, but they’re not silver/white.

Hello Nice65! Thank you for your reply!!

I am open to explore alternatives. At the point of harvesting, what is the average diameter and height for the Chestnut/ Hazel shoots you mentioned?

What is the deciding factor for new growth be harvested? Is there a typical schedule/ cycle for a tree to be coppiced?

Do Chestnut/Hazel/Silver Birch exist at 3m in height? Or are they often cut before reaching 3m?

I am interested in 3m tall poles and so am assuming my next step would be to contact coppicing/ woodland management companies to look for growth ready to be harvested..?

Sorry for all the questions, Thank you for your time!

 

[Nice65]

@tangojuliette It’s cut on a cycle, 3 years for walking sticks, longer for fence poles. Or even bigger to be split down with a froe and the ends cut for fencing rails, or left solid to use as strainers in fence corners. The coppicing is a winter affair while the sap is down, not critical for your amount though.

I can get some pictures. I have friends with a business near Haslemere where you could choose what you want. Sizes vary, you’d need to see.

 

[Pattree]

Ah!

I might be off in entirely the wrong track here!

I am trying to see if I can find a sustainable/reasonable way to source approx 5-10, 3m tall birch poles for a garden project. These poles will be made into a negative mold, and casted to retain the impression of the birch tree bark as a feature wall.

I think we have been side tracked into coppicing.

I believe what you are looking for is lengths of wood with a distinctive bark pattern to press into concrete. The wood isn’t part of the structure. Am I right?

I do not think that you want to establish a coppice. Is that right?

I’m guessing that each length Could be split to make two different impressions at the same time.

Do you need them all at the same time? Could you use just a couple of lengths at a time and rotate them to get different patterns further along.

I think that you are going to have to talk to a few big timber contractors. If I am right then what you are looking for isn’t a usual stock item and I can understand why you are asking your question here.

Kew Gardens might help. I can’t remember the name of their arboretum outside London But they must be thinning out this forest weed from time to time.

Here in Telford local authority is thinning out roadside planting from forty years ago.

Wind blow is still being cut up but you’d need to talk to your local authority or their contractors before they cut a tree. Here they are cutting to short lengths on site and shredding everything that they can. I’ve nicked the odd stem over the years but I feel slightly justified as my gang planted a lot of them in the early days of the Newtown.

Best of luck with your search.

 

[Nice65]

@Pattree “I think we have been side tracked into coppicing”. Totally agree

I felt this was the giveaway in the OP, but the title of the thread is misleading. It immediately prompted my mind to the ‘Can’t coppice Birch’ thought.

“I have been tasked to source 5-10 Silver Birch timber poles for a garden project and was lead to this website from Google”

@tangojuliette Ill be out dog walking this afternoon, I’ll get you some pictures of the sizes. They vary, so if you know what you need, Rosie and Wayne will find them in the plantation and extract.

 

[Tengu]

And there was me wondering if the OP lives in an area where only Birch grows well...?

 

[Nice65]

Chestnut and Birch in the plantations today. See how boring the Birch is?

 

[Nice65]

See how nothing is growing under the Chestnut but there are signs of old bramble and bracken where the Birch is? Tannins in the rotting leaves. It makes any steel you cut the wood with go blue/black.



Bit of local history for everyone.

These are 2 season sticks and will be harvested at the end of the this year and early next year for walking sticks. This area used to supply the NHS with affordable, sustainable, biodegradable and cheap walking sticks. Didn’t matter if the user didn’t return them, they just got handed out as needed. Now it’s horrible aluminium tubes that have to be smelted from ore, formed, issued and returned. No idea what they cost the NHS a year, but it’s totally backward thinking.

These sticks now go off to Germany where they use walking sticks far more commonly than here. The guys cut a fraction of what they used to. We used to cut about 200 to 250 each per day and get £5 a bundle of 25 sticks. Weekend we’d sit round a ‘ahem’ tyre fire with an oil drum of boiling water to soften and peel the bark, then bend them round a jig to form the handle. Apart from the tyre fire the process was pretty green. After a week or so of badly burned fingers, you’d get used to peeling scalding bark, but none of us had any fingerprints. Eddie got pulled up in his Hilux one night a little the worse for wear, and the local plod had to let him go.