Catégorie : Hoe farming

A large nut variety of hazel flowers in mid-Winter.

Firewood is neatly stacked against a bank. The pile should be left to season and dry out for a couple of years before it’s used.

A simple shed made from a wooden frame and a roof of basic thatching material helps keep firewood and faggots dry throughout the Winter.

This basket is made from two sorts of willow, both grown in the damp fields lower down the hill. One of the names of the yellow willow is crack willow – it is a very vigorous, wild willow, that is exceptionally supple, and of course it has a beautiful colour. The purple willow is a…

In this picture we can see an ash tree after felling. The large rounds in the foreground will be split, and used for firewood. Ash makes very good firewood, which can be burned straightaway if necessary. The bottom section of the trunk was fairly straight, and has been split into sixths, with the use of…

Root crops such as swedes and parsnips can be left in the ground all Winter. However, if possible a little extra protection can be given to the plants be packing mulch around the base. Straw is perhaps the best, but bracken or dried grass also works well.

Straight oak wood, free of knots is one of the best materials known to man. However, oak trees do not grow fast, and producing good-quality oak timber takes time and patience. When the trees are small, all the lower branches should be removed, and this process carried out repeatedly during the entire life of the…

This row of trees hasn’t been coppiced for a very long time, and needs a lot of work to bring it back in shape. The ash trees had outgrown everything else, and needed to be cut to the ground. There was also a lot of holly which also needed to be cut. A couple of…

This photo shows part of a field which is about 3 acres in size in total. The part on the left has been allowed to lie fallow for the past four years – just being cut once per year. It had previously been used to grow cereals, and had been ploughed once or twice a…

November is the month to collect apples for making cider. Cider uses apples that are a bit bitterer than eating apples, and should be left for several weeks to become soft before they are crushed and pressed. A common mistake made by newly-installed smallholders is to plant lots of apple trees, all of which yield…