In article ,
Pam Moore writes:
|
| I have a self-sown, or more likely squirrel-sown hazel on my
| allotment. Last year I cut off the longest branches (rather spindly)
| to use as pea-sticks. I have just made a second cut this week.
| It now looks a mess, and I think it might be right to coppice it.
|
| Any advice? When to cut, how close to soil etc, or should it have a
| few more years growth to thicken up? It's only a few years old and
| was about 8 ft before I cut it this week, and now about 6 ft.

As close as you feel like. It will reshoot both from old wood and
from its rootstock. I don't know when to start, but would guess
that it would be fine.

| Perhaps I should let it grow to give a crop of nuts in a few years.
| No sign of catkins as yet, but I've not given it much of a chance!!!

Well, I coppiced some of mine a few weeks ago - but it was 20+ years
old, and some of the stems were 6"+ across.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.