Felling at Pit Wood

 Felling at Pit Wood. Nov 2021

One of  the problems with growing fast growing trees is that they grow fast! Some trees planted in 2011  and 2013 are now nearly 50ft tall. There are three species which maybe 45' or more, Alder, Aspen and some Eucalypts. Some of the later are scattered through the woods and need to come down as the longer they are left the more difficult it will be to bring them down without damaging other trees that might make timber trees. They will be felled a bit later.

Rows of Aspen, the lighter and straighter trunks, and Alder. 
A few conifers can be seen scattered amongst them. 

The rectangular field at Pit Wood was planted in the spring. Part of  the idea had been to plant a couple of rows of Aspen and Alder nearest to the ditch which separates it from a triangular field. The winter of 2012 saw the triangular field flooded to a depth of a foot and a part of the rectangular field also flooded. A touch of panic set in. It was decided to extend the flooding tolerant species to all the land that had been flooded. More shade tolerant conifers were later planted to replace any that died in subsequent years. There are only a few conifers but they are growing nicely, and could make timber trees.

The Start of felling.

A felled Aspen, the lower part
snedded the top will be 
Chipped on site. 

 To be timber trees they need to put on girth the taller next to them were shading them so needed removing. A few were taken down. There was then a realisation that if all the original trees came down then some more useable trees could be planted. i.e. potential timber trees. Although the area may flood, it is only going to be in the winter when the trees are dormant, and the soil drains quite well.  Oak and Douglas Fir that have bought in will be planted, both species that can cope with a bit of winter waterlogging. 

There are a lot of trees to come down and something  should be done with them. I am not a salesman and trying to sell a poor fire wood is not for me. (There is too much work involved in cutting and splitting logs and then there is all the small branches, or brash to get rid of). I had been felling with the hope that the smaller stuff will get chipped. I now have a man with a chipper coming . Felling will continue and  the brash piled up for chipping on site. Trunks 2-3" and above will be snedded, (their  branches removed) and they can be taken off site for chipping later.