How is Willow Coppice established?
The productivity of your willow coppice depends heavily on the varieties of willow you end up planting. Modern cultivated willows have different properties – some are resistant to pests, some produce heavier crops, some tolerate drier or wetter soil conditions. When choosing bearing mind that Mono-cultures of identical plants tend to be more prone to disease Picking varieties appropiate for your soil conditions will improve yield Modern cultivars are protected by current patent laws – it is illegal to take cuttings from named varieties while they are protected by law – so you can’t just cut a few sticks from the local farmers field, or even from your own crops Willow usually prefers damp or boggy ground – if you have a damp patch that isn’t useful for other crops it may be perfect for Willow Coppice. Willow has fairly invasive roots which can choke drainage ditches – consider placement carefully Willow is a tall crop ( 3m plus at time of harvesting) – think about what that will do to y
