A walk through our hazel coppice in February

Hazel is a valuable plant which when corr4ctly managed by coppicing (cut and come again) gives a renewable permacrop of wooden rods. These can be split or used whole to make a wide range of products from clothes pegs, trellises for climbing plabnts like peas and beans, and baskets to fencing, shelters and even wattle and daub homes.

[@inregionecaecorum]

I am more of a willow man myself, though I do have some hazel in my hedge, that I planted about 6 years ago. Squirells get all the nuts before I do though. Willow is underated, nothing grows as fast as Willow, stick it in the ground, six months later you have two metres of it. I use it to make handles for my tools, as well as staffs and walking sticks.

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

Handles for tools, staffs, sticks? How thick does it grow in 6 months?

[@stephenhayesuk]

When I said at 0.50 that the catkin was a lovely thing to see I meant to add that apart from its intrinsic beauty, it was a sign of new growth in the woods and the beginning of the end of winter. For all those who like me get the 'winter blues' I heartily recommend looking out for catkins, and when you see them, get up close and see if you can find the lovely little red hazel flower-I bet 90% of those viewing this vid have never seen one!

[@billastell3753]

Very interesting. I have been growing hazel in Canada for nuts since 2013. This is the first time I have seen a flower. I guess they come and go before I see them. Our hazels are much shorter as they are crossed with North American beaked hazel for immunity against the blight we have here. Squirrels are definitely a challenge. I may have to learn to eat squirrel. In some areas in the USA that is a common practice. Had it once when I was a young savage. Quite tasty!

[@stephenhayesuk]

We have had good crops of hazel nuts some years, but the grey squirrels are a nightmare. If you were to try to crop nuts seriously you would need to seriously trap and shoot them, there is no possibility of excluding them by any kind of fence as they are incredible climbers.

[@stephenhayesuk]

5 or 6 as I recall. Traditionally hazel coppice would be clear felled every 4 to 7 years depending on growth,. We prefer to cut selectively every 2 to 4 years.

[@stephenhayesuk]

We have just come back from anther morning's work and we made a drying cradle where the larger poles are now resting after being trimmed. Some will be used as stakes, I may produce an outdoor shelter/workshop with stakes, paracord and a tarpaulin. I have also selected a lot of poles between 4 and 8 feet with forks in the end which I will use to prop up heavy laden fruit branches-if we have that problem this year!

[@paulcarolan8646]

I used to coppice Hazel trained as Thatcher done course hello from royal hill of Tara county Meath Ireland ☺

[@AussiePharmer]

Beautifully managed. Also satisfying to know that the bluebells live contently under these hazel stools. A bit of shame to burn those larger poles, especially when they make fantastic Maypoles to support your apples and plums.

[@charlesmaunder]

Interesting that you mentioned ash desease. In the US we have imported our own problems with ash, from asia I think. The emerald ash borer is sweeping through the US like wild fire. It isn't here in Nebraska yet but I here that it is just a matter of time. This really upsets me because I have a very old and beautiful green ash near the house that I will miss dearly. I hope that one day we will appreaciate how vulnerable precious our native envirerment is. Good video, thanks for sharing it.

[@gedhuffadine1873]

Have they been coppiced?the 12 year ones

[@troutfishholland]

We've done much the same with Silky Dogwood. The Silky Dog. gives beautiful red one year old growth and a nice pearl berry for birds in mid-summer. The shrub also grows in wet areas where many other plants will not tolerate. Everything has its place. Love your hazel.

[@vihorvetrov]

Fully agree, nothing beats willows BUT they need water. And the animals love the leaves.

[@Unputonombre84]

Are these hazel trees the same ones used to inoculate truffles?

[@waynehaylett6662]

I can see lots of walking sticks

[@commenter1130]

At 9:56 or so, the lady says the hazel can be used for [ ?? clutching spars ?? ] for which the narrator says there is "no modern substitute". I listened a couple of times but am sure I did not understand what she was speaking about. Does anyone have a clue, or maybe just a better ear than I? ETA: I figured out that it might be "thatching spars"! Here is a video showing how to make them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWS3n6qPebCbj5I

[@syahriliman.12]

👍

[@sharoncourt75]

Hello how big this bushes get? i want to plant 2 in my front yard

[@TrakturBuff]

Stephen you did not mention much about the hazelnuts. Do these plants produce them? You are so frugal I expected a video of you harvesting the nuts and mentioning recipes or memories of past holidays. Truly a well balanced use of your land.

[@SamuelitoRubio]

Fascinating... Doesn't look at all like the wild hazel that grows all over Minnesota, but the growth habit might be very different when carefully cultivated vs. left to grow wild. I'm going to do some research on hazel varieties.

[@saintmaxmedia2423]

When do you coppice them? Is February good time to do this? Thank you for the video.

[@paulcarolan8646]

Winter time now sap not going through Hazel rods

[@SaintDP]

Thank you for the great information! One question remains... When planting three or more of these shrubs, what will lead to better harvest, two female shrubs and one mail, or two mails and one female?

[@billastell3753]

Each plant is both male and female.

[@NaomiChambers]

can you graft a pollinator onto one tree?

[@richardgriffin7094]

after planting how many years did you wait before cutting for the first time?

[@cutarecutarescu]

what kind of hazel is it? crosford? butler? etc

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

Its a common hazel. Crosford and Butler are cultivars

[@rebeccahenry4930]

Finally! The video i wanted.

[@toffeebluenose7331]

If you cut it right down can you then dig it up and move it?

[@billastell3753]

Yes!

[@barbararussell897]

Just bought an older home with hazel trees :). Nut shells on ground but they were empty..?

[@07thomasdd]

I'm afraid the wildlife has already gotten to them mate! Still there is so much joy to hazel even without the nuts!

[@mesinovict6316]

The worms eat them,you can use the worms for fishing smaller fish

[@vihorvetrov]

Here in the Balkans Robinia is by far the favourite. It coppices really good, grows fast and it spreads by growing from the roots.The bees love the flowers, animals eat the leaves. It is a nitrogen fixing plant. I disliked its thorns intensely and disliked my grandfather who planted them everywhere. Now I tolerate them because they are very productive. Willows I like most and hazel is just too soft and rots easily.

[@billastell3753]

I have never seen thorns on a hazel but then again I don't live in the Balkans.

[@vihorvetrov]

@@billastell3753 When I mentioned thorns I was talking about Robinia (Black Locust) and not hazel. See if you can be bothered to read again because you seem to have some comprehension issues. And fuck your superior racist English mannerisms

[@billastell3753]

@@vihorvetrov You really need to get that inferiority complex under control. You will be a happier less hateful person if you can.

[@vihorvetrov]

@@billastell3753 You insulted me first by saying I said something stupid which I did not. Then you insulted all the people on a subcontinent. I will get my inferiority complex under control but am I allowed to raise the issue your superiority complex? Be it as it may I am comforted by the thought that you will remain a lower form of human life for the rest of your life.

[@billastell3753]

I am glad to see KZbin removed some of VVs comments for hate speech. Wow! Couldn't understand where that vitriol came from.

[@jacquechanny945]

Tom nkalubo

[@sharoncourt75]

Is it invasive?

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

It's not "invasive" as such things as bindweed etc but it can send out runners. If you want more trees then you can help it. Pleach a stem, bend it into a shallow trench and peg it down. Make sure you cover it with soil not just leaves and shoots will grow along its length.

[@billastell3753]

No!