woodland cover

[pro keeper 111]

hi all having my ash wood cleared out alittle to plant some ground cover for pheasant , what have you guys planted and what difference has it made?

[gonetoearth 5,144]

get the advise off basc free get soil samples to see what will thrive in the ground you have. seen lots of hard work go to waste

[Guest ragumup]

is there nothing growing under the ash trees ...?

[fieldsportsman 107]

have a walk about and see what species are doing well, make sure to plant plent of cover eg hedgerows, coppiced woodland is good, as it allows ground flora to flurish

Edited February 20, 2012 by fieldsportsman

[pro keeper 111]

There is no cover at all under the ash trees this woodland has not been worked on for 20 years i know of, we are felling some trees to let light through to the ground, i am thinking of planting box in the clearings, its in need of roosting as this is bleak aswell, the deer are kept on top of so lack of cover can only be due to canopy blocking out the light, if anyone has worked through the same problem i would very much like to hear from you

["Earth!" 503]

let some light in and leave all the brash. hey presto lots of nice brambles. as for roost i dont know of any quick fixes.

yup, the light will bring up allsorts. box takes ages..

 

what about hazel,its free and easy to get hold of.

[waz77 15]

Coppice the stuff that you are taking out and that will give you some cover at ground level as it regenerates.Hazel is good and has uses. Holly is good. Hawthorne planted around the wood would give shelter from wind blowing through and provide food. Avoid non native invasive species like rhodies as although they give good early results they can take over.

["Earth!" 503]

Coppice the stuff that you are taking out and that will give you some cover at ground level as it regenerates.Hazel is good and has uses. Holly is good. Hawthorne planted around the wood would give shelter from wind blowing through and provide food. Avoid non native invasive species like rhodies as although they give good early results they can take over.

 

I dont think he has any hazel to coppice just ash? For roost (although it wont be a quick fix) plant thorne, oak etc. laurels also provide great cover but they take some time and you need to protect them from the rabbits. I would disagree about rhodies they offer good cover and are extremely easy to pull up if it gets out of control because the roots are very shallow.

one of the drives on my estate is purely rhodies, fantastic cover and holding plant but try driving of shifting birds from it, even my terriers cant reach the bbastards let alone a spaniel!

thorn or oak, think the man is after a quickish solution and laurel can be a tricky one to get going..

 

bracken is another easily obtainable, free and grows in most soil.

[danw 1,748]

isn't common rhododendron a schedule 9 plant and as such illegal to plant in the wild ?

 

 

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=530

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Media/PDFs/Advice/CE-leaflet-schedule-9

[fieldsportsman 107]

although rhodies are brilliant cover, they tend to stop other species fro taking of

[danw 1,748]

although rhodies are brilliant cover, they tend to stop other species fro taking of

And?

 

Dan - would that law make it illegal to let it grow wild as well?

 

honestly don't know wasn.t really sure on whether it is legal or not the links suggest not but I was hoping some one would clarify it

[pro keeper 111]

Thanks for all of your replies, i am going to orders buckthorn, crab apple, hazel, quickthorn (hawthorn) and wild privet, mix from kings, also fell the trees where needed, i have just taken over the estate this year and i have plenty to get on with, the wood is going to take time and the boss has been told this and is happy so far!!!!

[waz77 15]

What part of the country are you in pro keeper?

[pro keeper 111]

On the bucks oxon boarder chap

["Earth!" 503]

Thanks for all of your replies, i am going to orders buckthorn, crab apple, hazel, quickthorn (hawthorn) and wild privet, mix from kings, also fell the trees where needed, i have just taken over the estate this year and i have plenty to get on with, the wood is going to take time and the boss has been told this and is happy so far!!!!

3/4 fell your trees so they are laid on the ground but the sap can still feed it which will give you flushing/holding cover until your stuff grows. best of luck, from what you have chosen to plant, you will have a few years wait until it benefits and dont forget the tree shrub guards or its rabbit or deer fodder