Coppicing cuts a tree at or just above ground level and is best for firewood in a fenced or livestock-free area, while pollarding cuts at 2-3 m above the ground so that deer, goats and other browsers cannot reach the new growth. Choose pollarding only where animals roam free and fencing is not possible, because cutting at height is slower and more dangerous.
Part of Coppicing & Fuel Management
The difference between cutting trees at ground level and cutting them at head height, and when each suits a fuel woodland.
Same Idea, Different Height
Both methods rely on the same regrowth response. The difference is where the new shoots grow and what can eat them.
| Coppicing | Pollarding | |
|---|---|---|
| Cut height | Ground level or just above | 2-3 m up the trunk (above browse level) |
| New growth from | The stool at the base | The trunk above the cut |
| Best for | Firewood in a fenced or livestock-free area | Woodland where livestock or deer roam |
| Protects against | Nothing: needs fencing | Animals eating the regrowth |
The parent article’s rule is: for firewood in a fenced or livestock-free area, coppicing is preferred; if deer or goats roam your woodland, pollard instead, since they cannot reach the regrowth.
The Costs Of Pollarding
- Working at height. Poles must be cut from a ladder, a platform or by climbing, which is a fall hazard. Coppice poles are cut from the ground.
- Heavier, harder cuts. The cut is on a thicker trunk, and the stems must be lowered, not dropped.
- Cut cycle. A pollard needs regular cutting; leaving it too long grows heavy limbs that tear and split the trunk at the next cut. Cut on the species’ normal rotation (Cutting Cycles).
- Starting an old tree. An older tree that has never been cut high may not respond; begin with young trees.
Method: Choosing
Step 1: Ask what browses. If nothing does, or you can fence, coppice.
Step 2: If fencing is impractical, pollard young trees at browse height plus margin (2-3 m, parent).
Step 3: Protect new coppice anyway for the first years, since young shoots are irresistible to herbivores (Fence Types).
Common Mistakes
- Pollarding by default. It is more dangerous and slower.
- Pollarding too low. Goats can reach well above their normal height by standing on hind legs or climbing.
- Fencing a coupe with gaps. One gap defeats it.
Safety
Cutting at height risks falls and dropped limbs
Use a stable ladder or platform, never saw above your shoulders, work with a second person, and clear the ground below before a limb comes down. A falling limb is heavy. Keep a bleeding-control kit nearby (Bleeding Control).
What’s Next
- Learn next: Species Selection — what to plant or keep
- Combine with: Biology of Regrowth — how the shoots respond