Thanks Marko. I was more wondering what defined it as coppicing, as opposed to say pollarding. Is height of cut the only issue or are there other differences?
Thanks Marko. I was more wondering what defined it as coppicing, as opposed to say pollarding. Is height of cut the only issue or are there other differences?
By cutting closer to the ground, the tree is supposed to live alot longer.
Pollarding is doing the same thing, just up high, as you said, so grazing animals cant eat the new growth.
That list you posted is quite long and Im looking forward to chewing thru it.
I did notice that it had Urtica ferox-thats the stinging nettle tree and I was told, highly dangerous so that will be one I wont want even if it does coppice beautifully.
Apparently it can cause paralysis or death.
In Maori is called Ongaonga-or THAT!!!.The remedy for those who got stung by it, was to bury them up to their neck in the hopes that when the toxic chemicals they got stung with wore off, that the person would not be crippled by misformed limbs that the paralysis could cause,supposing that they actually lived.
Cuppa tea anyone?
It's only a mistake if you don't learn from it...
www.photoblog.com/mischief
Nah, it's not that bad. I've been stung by ferox a few times. Death of humans is very rare. You'd have to get stung alot to be killed, I think the risk is when people ride horses or try and walk through stands of tree nettle. The burying remedy is interesting - is that from Maori?
I do agree it's not a good plant for a 1/4 acre though. Also, it's not a tree, it's a sprawling shrub. You wouldn't get much wood out of it.
G'day pebble
Yeah, the general consensus is the height of the cut makes the difference; just above ground level for coppicing, and up to 2m (6') for pollarding. The later at that height, it would seem, for both practical and aesthetic purposes; to deter grazing of the new growth in the case of the former, and to provide for a more rounded and defined crown in the latter.Originally Posted by pebble
Cheerio, Markos.
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Coppicing and pollarding are roughly the same, only the height of the trunk varies.
Personally, I like to keep a bit of trunk if you are cutting the branches annually ... it's a lot easier to move along a row of trunk and cut at shoulder height, than attempt to cut at ground level (I know this because I cut a line of eucs, about 150 metres long every year for many years, by hand ... and still adore the smell of that work!).
On distance from the fenceline ... I would suggest at least two metres, not one metre, as you will need to be able to maneuver the branches as you work ... two metres gives you space to move (and also to mow, in the off-season, if you have grass).
A simple test, to check whether a plant will cope with pollarding (or coppice, with a short stump). Prune a relatively low branch, but leave the growth around the trunk (the wrinkly circles around where the trunk originates ... I know there's a word for it, but ya know?) ...
If that area sprouts new shoots, and they end up growing into branches if you don't come back and prune them again, then you can pollard the tree ... it'll work.
Tea-tree here has that ability ... if you cut even a large branch, it will sprout many shoots around the injury, although the growth tends to be thick and bushy, rather than woody ... with a bit of selective pruning, to two or three shoots, you might get some strong branches. Maybe try trimming a big branch or two from one of your manuka's and see what happens?
PS. As a bit of "mainstream" information ... have a look in your local florists. If native tree foliage is showing up there, then you can bet there is a method for regularly harvesting the foliage that you could tap into and utilize or adapt for your purpose.
I'm totally lost on that one and I cut trees every day. So, a lateral branch grows from, let's say the central leader, in a classic pyramidal shape, you cut that branch leaving a stub, or you cut it on target at the collar?
Hmmm. What I was trying to describe (obviously quite poorly!) was a tree that will regrow branches under it's canopy if you prune a low branch off.
Those ones, as far as I can tell, will cope with their entire trunk being cut off (they'll regrow). Things like cyprus, which just end up with a stump, won't coppice/pollard so much (if at all). Eucs, oaks, hawthorn, lillypilly, plum are some that do (as examples).
Thank you for giving me the word "collar" ... that was the word I was looking for! Cut to, but not into, the collar. If it grows from that (under the existing canopy), then it's likely to be able to be pollarded (there's often growth stubs along the trunk on this type of tree). If a tree regrows from the branch-stump (left longer than the collar), then it will DEFINATELY be pollard-able.gif ":)")
Pollarding, in it's finest form, seems to be the creation of many collars at a designated height ... a bit like creating fruit spurs on an apply tree by judicious pruning.
Righto. Though I'd question that ability as an indicator, if you prune at the right time and the God's are smiling upon you, sometimes you will get zero epicormic growth from the collar on the species you have listed. Maybe the cuts being made aren't right on target (target being the optimal place at the collar where compartmentalisation is at its best - the tree 'heals' the fastest)?
Tipuna, for example, I have pruned and had no growth yet I've seen, and pruned myself to target and it spits out epicormic everywhere.
Judging by your description then, Jacaranda as a common tree in SE QLD may be the best pollarder. Most trees will give up on shaded branches eventually (they know what's best), but Jacaranda will water shoot for miles.
Hmmmm. Can't say I'd reckon Jacaranda's could sustain the growth. I'm guessing the water shoots would shrivel in under a year? Dunno ... haven't ever thought about pollarding one of those (too fussy a tree, the leaves are small and thin, not strong).
Like the word epicormic tho ... (had to look that up btw ... that's the bumps in the trunk I was talking about - don't have the words, just know the plants I suppose ... so thanks for two words today! ... epicormic - makes sense ... epi for near the surface/skin, corm for the lump ... so that's the name of the lumps on the tree I described that grow the new branches ... brill!) ...
Can't imagine a Jacaranda being able to be coppiced? Not having tried it ... is it possible?
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