The property owner discovered that their land extended beyond the pasture and into a couple of acres of woods. These woods were filled with wild rabbit eye blueberries, which were not producing much yield due to lack of sunlight. The owner had been reading a book on copis agroforestry, which gave them the idea to use the practice to selectively cut down some of the trees to allow more sunlight in and rejuvenate the lifespan of the trees. This would not only increase the yield of the blueberries but also provide a permanent supply of firewood, fodder for animals, and compost for the garden. The owner also considered planting other useful species such as pecans, black walnut, mulberries, and basswood.
Through copacing and pollarding, the owner planned to manage the existing trees and take advantage of their root systems to promote new woody growth. They would also open up enough light to plant other species around the rabbit eye blueberries, such as yapon holly, which could be used for tea. By clearing out some of the trees and encouraging the growth of useful species, the owner aimed to maximize the use of the space and resources available in the woods. The owner’s winter tasks included cutting down some of the trees and making use of the free lumber to build structures such as chicken coops or pig enclosures.
Key Takeaways
- Copis agroforestry can be used to selectively cut down trees to increase sunlight and rejuvenate the lifespan of trees.
- By using copacing and pollarding, new woody growth can be promoted while taking advantage of existing root systems.
- Clearing out some trees and encouraging the growth of useful species can maximize the use of space and resources in the woods.
Concept of Copis Agroforestry
The speaker in the video has been reading a book called “Copis Agroforestry” and has been inspired to implement the concept in his woods, which are full of rabbit eye blueberries. Copis agroforestry involves copacing and pollarding trees to allow light to enter and regenerate the lifespan of the trees. By cutting down some of the trees in the woods, the speaker can open up the space and allow the rabbit eye blueberries to produce more yield.
The speaker plans to select out the species of trees they want to keep and cut down the others. Copacing involves cutting a tree all the way down to the ground while it’s dormant, and in the spring, it regenerates and makes multiple shoots. If managed properly, these shoots will grow back into trunks and can be used for various purposes such as tool handles, posts, weaving material, or firewood.
The speaker has been chainsawing for about an hour and a half to release the rabbit eye blueberries and get firewood logs. They plan to use the deadfall trees as wildlife habitat and encourage the species they want to stick around while removing the ones they don’t want. The speaker also plans to put other useful species such as pecans, black walnuts, mulberries, and basswood in the woods.
By using the concept of copis agroforestry, the speaker hopes to open up enough light in the woods to put other plants around the rabbit eye blueberries. They also plan to use the yapon holly for tea and take advantage of the free lumber in the woods. The speaker is inspired to spend the winter doing these tasks and making the most use out of the space possible.
Practical Application of Copis Agroforestry
The speaker in the video found out that they owned a couple of acres of woods beyond the edge of their pasture, which were full of wild blueberries. However, the rabbit eye blueberries in the understory of the woods would not produce much yield if they were left as they were. The speaker had been reading a book called Copis Agroforestry, which gave them plenty of ideas on how to manage the woods.
Copis agroforestry involves copacing and pollarding, which can be used to create a regenerative woodlot that keeps coming back. By selectively cutting down some of the trees in the woods, the speaker could allow more sunlight to reach the rabbit eye blueberries, which would increase their yield. When a tree is copaced, it is cut all the way down to the ground while it is dormant, and in the spring, it regenerates and makes multiple shoots. If managed properly, these shoots will grow back into trunks that can be harvested for various purposes such as tool handles, garden posts, weaving material, and firewood.
The disturbance caused by copacing allows light to enter the woods, rejuvenates the lifespan of the trees, and can even allow new species to be introduced. The speaker plans to encourage the species they want to stick around and remove the ones they don’t. By copacing the existing trees, they will take advantage of those root systems to make a whole bunch of new woody growth.
The speaker spent an hour and a half chainsawing and releasing many of the rabbit eye blueberries. They also experimented with polarding two sweet gums to get good firewood logs. The speaker plans to use the deadfall trees to create a good wildlife habitat, provided they don’t fall on their head.
In conclusion, copis agroforestry can be a useful technique to manage woods and increase yield. By selectively cutting down trees and allowing more sunlight to enter the woods, the speaker can encourage the growth of the species they want and remove the ones they don’t. Copacing and pollarding can also provide a permanent supply of firewood, garden posts, weaving material, and other useful products.
Firewood and Other Resources
The speaker discovered that they own a couple of acres of woods beyond the edge of their pasture. These woods are full of wild rabbit eye blueberries. However, the understory plants and shrubs in the woods are preventing the blueberries from producing a yield. The speaker wants to manage the woods by using the techniques of coppicing and pollarding.
Coppicing involves cutting a tree all the way down to the ground while it is dormant. In the spring, the tree regenerates and makes multiple shoots which grow into trunks. The trunks can be used for various purposes such as tool handles, posts for the garden, weaving material for baskets, or firewood. Pollarding, on the other hand, involves cutting a tree up high.
By using these techniques, the speaker wants to open up the woods and allow sunlight to reach the blueberries. This will increase the yield of the blueberries. Additionally, the speaker will be able to obtain firewood and other materials from the woods. The speaker plans to remove the species they do not want and encourage the species they want to stick around. They also plan to put other useful species such as pecans, black walnuts, mulberries, and basswood in the woods.
The speaker also discovered yapon holly in the woods which they can use for tea. They plan to accomplish these tasks during the winter when they have more time. The speaker believes that by managing the woods, they can get the most use out of the space possible.
Opening the Canopy for Blueberries
The speaker in the video discovered that they own a couple of acres of woods beyond the edge of their pasture, where wild blueberries grow abundantly. However, the woods are not receiving enough sunlight, and as a result, the blueberries are not yielding much. The speaker has been reading a book on copis agroforestry, which has given them plenty of ideas to manage the woods in a regenerative way.
The speaker decided to use copacing and pollarding techniques to open up the canopy of the woods and allow more sunlight to reach the blueberries. Copacing involves cutting a tree all the way down to the ground while it’s dormant, and then allowing it to regenerate in the spring, producing multiple shoots. Pollarding, on the other hand, involves cutting a tree up high, allowing it to regenerate from the cut branches.
By using these techniques, the speaker hopes to create a regenerative woodlot that produces not only blueberries but also firewood, compost, and fodder for animals. They plan to select out the species they want to keep and cut down the others. The speaker also mentioned that they could use the cut trees for tool handles, posts for the garden, weaving material for baskets, and firewood.
The speaker spent an hour and a half chainsawing the woods to release the rabbit eye blueberries. They also experimented with polarding two sweet gum trees to produce firewood logs. The speaker plans to wait until spring to see how the woods will grow back after the disturbance.
The speaker also mentioned that they could put other useful species, such as pecans, black walnuts, mulberries, and basswood, in the woods. They plan to encourage the species they want to stick around and remove the ones they don’t want. The speaker is also excited about the yapon holly, which they can use for tea.
In summary, the speaker opened up the canopy of the woods to allow more sunlight to reach the wild blueberries, using copacing and pollarding techniques. They plan to use the cut trees for various purposes, such as firewood, tool handles, and weaving material for baskets. The speaker also plans to introduce other useful species in the woods and remove the ones they don’t want.
Potential for Other Useful Species
The woods beyond the edge of the pasture on the property are full of wild blueberries, mostly rabbit eye blueberries. However, leaving the woods as they are will not allow the rabbit eye blueberries to produce a significant yield as they require sunlight. The idea of coppicing and pollarding has been explored to create a regenerative woodlot that will keep coming back and provide a permanent supply of firewood and other materials. By selectively cutting down some trees, the light will be allowed into the woods, and the rabbit eye blueberries will thrive.
In addition to rabbit eye blueberries, other useful species such as pecans, black walnut, mulberries, and Basswood could be planted in the woods. The existing trees can also be coppiced to take advantage of their root systems and make new woody growth. The open space created by this method will enable other useful species to grow around the rabbit eye blueberries.
The yapon Holly, which is a native North American source of caffeine, is also present in the woods and can be used for tea. The regrowth in the woods will also provide a good wildlife habitat, and the dead stumps can be used for this purpose.
By coppicing and pollarding the trees in the woods, the lifespan of the trees will be rejuvenated, and they will live longer. The disturbance caused by cutting down the trees will allow the light in, and the rabbit eye blueberries will thrive. The cut-down trees will be used for firewood, and the remaining species will be encouraged to stick around.
Overall, the woods beyond the edge of the pasture on the property have the potential to be a regenerative woodlot that will provide a permanent supply of firewood and other materials while allowing other useful species to grow.