How to coppice hazel

Coppiced hazel (Corylus avellana) has been valued for centuries for the long, straight stems that grow in response to a hard prune. Today, with local or home-grown products increasingly popular, these provide perfect plant supports for beans and other herbaceous climbers in place of imported bamboo, as well as being used for fencing hurdles.

Coppiced hazels have a broad, open habit, with branches carrying leaves in airy, horizontal layers. They also look beautifully ornamental in spring with long male catkins on the bare stems.

When tackling a hazel, remove branches in stages. Take out the outer stems first and work your way into the centre of the stool.

It’s easier to get a good clean stool once you have cut stems down to around 30cm. The end result should be no more than 5cm above the ground.

Read our article on why you should coppice.

The stages

This hazel has previously been coppiced, so instead of growing into a single-stemmed tree it has lots of bushy stems. A lot of energy goes into new growth; coppicing every three to five years allows the plants to recover.

Use a sharp saw to cut the larger branches to ensure a clean cut. Remaining stems, or the stool, should be no more than 5cm from the ground.

After five years, your coppiced hazel should look like this. It’s about 3m tall and 3m wide, with lots of stems bearing pretty catkins. Now it’s time to cut it back again, before the stems thicken.