Choose coppice species that pay twice: hazel for nuts, poles and wattle, ash for tool handles and building, willow for baskets, fencing and medicine, sweet chestnut for rot-resistant fence posts, and birch for bark and sap. Send the straight, sound poles to craft and building work and the tops, branches and crooked stems to the stove.
Part of Coppicing & Fuel Management
Coppice species that supply craft, food and building material as well as fuel, and how to split a harvest between uses.
The Table
| Species | Fuel quality | Other uses | Rotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazel | Good | Nuts, poles, baskets, wattle | 7-10 years |
| Ash | Excellent | Tool handles, building | 10-15 years |
| Willow | Fair | Baskets, fencing, medicine (aspirin-like bark) | 3-5 years |
| Sweet chestnut | Good | Fence posts (rot-resistant), nuts | 10-15 years |
| Birch | Good | Bark for containers and tinder, sap for sugar | 8-12 years |
These are the parent article’s figures. They tell you that a coppice is not only a fuel store: the same cut can supply wattle for walls (Wattle and Daub), fence posts (Fence Types) and tool handles.
Method: Splitting A Harvest
Step 1: Sort at the stool. Set aside straight, sound poles for craft and building as you cut.
Step 2: Grade by use. Thin straight rods for baskets and wattle, thicker poles for posts and handles, the rest for fuel.
Step 3: Season craft wood separately, since it should dry slowly and straight, while fuel can dry in any good stack.
Step 4: Send the waste to fuel. Tops, crooked pieces and offcuts all burn.
Step 5: Keep notes on what each coupe produced so the mix can be adjusted (Record Keeping).
Common Mistakes
- Burning wood that was worth more as poles. Take the straight stems out first.
- Stripping bark from standing trees. Removing a ring of bark kills a tree; take bark from cut poles.
- Using willow bark as medicine without guidance. The bark contains aspirin-like compounds, and aspirin-type drugs are not safe for everyone, especially children; this guide gives no dose.
Safety
Sap and sharp work
Birch sap tapping and bark stripping use knives and edge tools, and cut poles are sharp where they were cut. Keep tools sharp and carried safely, and keep the cutter’s legs out of the blade’s path. For any medicinal use of bark, follow the medical guidance in the medicine section; do not improvise doses.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Rotation Planning — scheduling the mixed cuts
- Combine with: Species Selection — choosing the mix