Pit wood felling reading for planting

 Pit Wood Felling  and Readying for Planting.

Aspen, the straighter and lighter trunks, and Alder trees before area was cleared. 
 

It is New Years day (2022). In Pit Wood rectangular compartment the Aspen and Alder have been felled. The small area is to be replanted with Douglas Fir and Oak.  The logs have been piled at the end of rows adjacent to the ride. The brash has been piled in row gaps at ride side to prevent deer access. This has become more critical as 6 deer were seen in the next field. Usually it is only one or two.

Part of the area after clearing. The conifers are replacements for trees that died.
 The larger ones are Douglas Fir and Japanese Red Cedar.
 

A felled area.

Some of the brash was chipped so there were clear areas to fell into. Once a few rows had been felled it was possible to fell onto those rows. The aspen has grown very straight and it is comparatively easy to persuade them to fall in a particular direction. The Alder grew less quickly and had to chase the light more. Most did lean in the same direction and determined the direction and order the trees were felled.

The Dead Hedge.

Much of the first brash was woven into a "dead hedge" along a side with the rest of the wood. The stumps of the felled trees were used as posts. The felled trees had been planted at 3 x 1.5 metre spacing. The 3m gap edges were too wide to weave effectively. Brash particularly tops were piled up to prevent deer coming in. Logs filled in some of the gaps, adjacent to to the perimeter ride to stop the deer, and allow their removal. The deer would have no difficulty jumping the height of the logs but they would not try because of the width. Round logs would also act like a cattle grid. (I hope).

Logs and brash piled up to keep the deer out.

I tend to always fell at waist or chest level. If a tree doesn't fall where it is expected then I would rather be standing up.  Also if a tree is not straight then it may give you a better chance of allowing the tree to fall naturally in a pre determined direction. I had always intended leaving the stumps around the perimeter to make a deer fence, but am going to leave them all. I hope they will provide some shelter to the growing trees and should produce coppice growth providing extra shelter and increasing the humidity for the new trees. They will be small enough to be removed in the next few years without difficulty. When I think they are interfering with the new trees they can go. I also don't have to find something to do with them in the mean time!