Try and do as little carrying and burning as possible, while leaving the path completely clear of debris, and its edges attractive.
Non-woody growth rapidly rots down and should cause little problem. Brambles and scrub are more awkward as they are bulky and difficult to ‘lose’. Consider using branches and scrub for blocking off short cuts and gaps in hedges, or for covering bare areas to stop trampling and allow vegetation recovery. Piles of brushwood in odd corners are useful habitats for over-wintering and nesting wildlife.
Chipping
Scrub, branches and other timber can be put through a wood-chipping machine to produce a useful material for path surfacing and mulching. Machines vary from petrol- driven garden shredders which can shred prunings and branches up to 75mm, up to large chipping machines which can deal with timber from 150mm diameter up to whole trees. Garden shredders can be hired. Many local authorities use chipping machines and may be able to offer assistance. Chippers and shredders should only be operated by trained persons. Groups responsible for managing paths and other areas in woodland may find it worth purchasing a machine and training operators from within their group, as the chippings are useful for path surfacing and mulching within the woodland, and can be sold or distributed for garden and other use.
Snedding
Most scrub will have to be snedded either for stacking, chipping or burning. Before snedding, drag the tree or shrub to the point where it will be stacked or chipped, as this is easier than carrying bundles of cut material. Using a snedding axe, billhook or loppers, remove all side branches, starting at the base of the stem. If using an axe or billhook, stand on the opposite side to the branch you are cutting, to protect your legs.
Burning
Burning is polluting and time-consuming, so avoid it if you can. If not, try and get permission from the landowner to burn on adjoining land as space on the path is likely to be restricted. It may be necessary to cut a temporary gap through which to drag the material. This can be blocked afterwards with cut scrub.
In choosing the site, consider the following:
- Avoid overhanging trees and interesting ground flora, and keep the fire well away from the trunks of trees as heat can damage far beyond the visible flames. Smooth barked trees such as beech, sycamore and ash are especially susceptible to scorching.
- The fire will enrich the soil with mineral ash which encourages the growth of thistles and nettles. This effect can be reduced, but not completely prevented, by shovelling up the wood ash when the fire is dead, and removing it.
- Unless the path is going to be surfaced, avoid having the fire on the line of the path, as both the heat and the trampling will damage the soil structure and make the site liable to be muddy in the future. If possible, choose a slight knoll beside the path.
- Try and site the fire in as central a location as possible to minimise carrying. If the scrub is so thick that you can only approach from one end, you will probably need several fires. To save time, you can carry hot embers in a metal bucket or shovel from the dying fire onto the next site to get the fire going quickly. It is also possible to burn on a metal sheet, such as corrugated iron. This can then be dragged, in suitably flat terrain, from one site to another. This speeds fire lighting and avoids damage to the ground.
- Alert the police and fire service in advance on sites of high fire risk, such as heathlands and conifer plantations.
Starting and tending a fire
Getting a good fire going is not as simple as it seems, and is best done by an experienced person. Even when the fire is going well, it should be constantly tended by one person to keep it burning efficiently.
- Matches, dry paper and kindling are needed to start the fire. Do not use tyres or oil to start the fire as these produce polluting fumes and ash. Paraffin and diesel are useless as firelighters. Petrol is very dangerous and should never be used.
- Loosely screw up some newspaper and build a stack of dry kindling over it. Continue with some thin dry wood to produce a stack about a metre high. Light the paper.
- Build up the fire using thin dry wood which lies close together. Place larger branches on only when the fire has a good hold. Always put them on with their butt ends to the wind, which allows a free flow of air into the heart of the fire.
- Blackthorn, hawthorn and old bramble stems are awkward to burn because they do not pack down well. Allow time to sned them, and if possible put them on the fire with other material that burns well.
- If you are returning to do more work the next day, pile up the embers to keep them hot so the fire can be quickly re-started. At the end of the project, clear up and restore the fire site by scattering any unburnt stumps or logs. Shovel up and remove as much wood ash as you can. Rake the site.
