Differences Between Coppicing and Pollarding

Coppicing and pollarding both require extensive pruning of a tree or shrub.


The practice of coppicing and pollarding trees and shrubs originated thousands of years ago, when woody plants were continuously harvested for fuel. The concept behind these techniques is to encourage rapid new growth in the spring, thereby ensuring more woody material from the same tree or shrub. However, coppicing and pollarding do not mean the same thing and will give you slightly different results.


Coppicing involves cutting young tree stems down to a foot or less from ground level to encourage new shoots to form. Coppicing should be done in the winter, or when the tree or shrub enters its dormant period. New shoots grow the following spring. Coppicing produces multistemmed growth instead of a single, primary trunk. In a woodland setting, trees are coppiced in rotational sections, with trees in varying stages. This way, wood is always available for harvest.


The pollarding technique is used to encourage lateral branch growth and to control the height of a tree or shrub. It should also be done during the plant's dormant period and involves cutting a tree stem to about 8 to 10 feet above ground level. Repeated pollarding encourages a slightly swollen trunk, with several new side and top shoots. Pollarding is used in urban environments to prevent trees from damaging utility lines and sewers. In a pasture setting, it allows you to keep the tree in a perpetual sapling state, which extends the life of the tree because diseases have little time to infect the wood.

About the Author


Photo Credits

  • Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
bibliography-icon icon for annotation tool Cite this Article