Seasonal Forestry Calendar for the UK: What to Do Each Month

Anyone who has planted a thousand oaks in February rain, or watched a summer extraction job churn a track into soup, knows that timing in forestry is not fussiness. It is the difference between a tree that establishes and one that sulks for three years. What follows is a working framework for the UK, not a rulebook. Altitude, soil, rainfall and your objectives shift everything by a few weeks: a wood in Argyll runs later than one in Sussex, and heavy clay closes for winter long before free-draining sand does. Treat the months as bands of opportunity, not deadlines, and let the ground and the forecast have the final say.

January and February: planting, felling and the heavy jobs

Deep winter is the backbone of the forestry year. Bare-root stock is fully dormant, ground is often at its best for machinery, and there is no leaf cover to hide what you are doing. On free-draining loams you can work almost continuously; on clay, you grab the dry or frozen windows and stop the moment ruts begin to hold water.

• Plant. Get trees in while the soil is workable — not frozen, not standing in water. Notch or slit planting suits favourable sites; pit planting pays on heavy, stony or compacted ground. Match species to soil: oak and hornbeam on clay, birch and pine on sand, alder where it stays wet.
• Look after your stock. Keep bundles heeled in or cold-stored, and never let roots dry in wind or sun. A few hours on a sunny yard can kill fine roots that took a nursery two years to grow.
• Beat up. Replace last winter's failures and re-stake or re-tie whips that have worked loose. Check tree guards and stakes after gales; a rubbing tie can girdle a stem in one season.
• Check infrastructure. Walk the boundary after storms: fences, gates, culverts, drains. Clear ditches before they back up, and note any tracks that will need brash mats or stone before the next extraction.
• Fell and thin. Conifer thinning and small clearfells sit well in winter, when dry or frozen ground carries machines with far less damage. Work from the back of the wood out, and keep extraction routes on the driest lines.

Before any saw starts, confirm whether you need a felling licence or permission and what restocking conditions apply. If mature broadleaves, deadwood or veteran trees are coming down, have them checked for bats first; a roost check by a licensed ecologist costs far less than the alternative. Winter is also the time for hazel coppicing, hedge laying and ride widening, provided you leave enough deadwood and habitat features behind.

March and April: finishing planting and waking up

Planting usually runs to mid or late March on most sites, later in the north and at altitude. Stop if the soil is frozen or warm drying winds arrive. Cold-stored stock can wait a little longer, but inspect it before you commit: if roots are mouldy, bark is sloughing or buds are pushing in the bag, the window has closed. Once planted, firm the tree in, check depth, and put guards on where rabbits, deer or voles are a known problem.

From March the wood belongs to wildlife again. Birds, bats and dormice are active, and their nests, roosts and resting places are protected by law. That does not mean you down tools entirely, but it does mean you plan around them. Avoid scrub clearance, hedge flailing and felling in areas where birds are nesting; if you must work, check first and leave a buffer. Bats may use trees, bridges and old buildings in spring, so get advice before any structural work or felling of mature trees with cavities, loose bark or ivy cover.

• Weed and mulch. Release young trees from grass, bracken and bramble. A metre-wide weed-free circle for the first three years can double survival on droughty sites.
• Check fences and guards. Deer pressure peaks as new growth flushes. Repair gaps, replace broken guards and make sure gates close properly.
• Survey and record. Note which compartments failed, which species are browsing, and where water sits after rain. This becomes your autumn planting plan.
• Plan summer work. Order trees for next winter, book contractors, and check grant deadlines. Good forestry is mostly administration done early.

May and June: growth, competition and quiet operations

By late spring the growing season is in full swing. This is the best time to see what is thriving and what is being eaten, shaded or drowned. It is also a sensitive period for nesting birds, so heavy felling and scrub clearance should generally wait. Focus on low-disturbance work: hand weeding, strimming around guards, repairing access tracks, clearing culverts and inspecting drains.

Young plantations need attention now. Cut back competing vegetation before it smothers leaders, but avoid cutting in a way that leaves a dense mat over the tree. On wet sites, check that mounds and drains are still working. On dry sites, mulch is your friend: bark, woodchip or a woven mat keeps moisture in and weeds down. If you are managing for timber, this is the time to mark crop trees and plan the next thinning: identify straight stems, good form and healthy crowns, and be willing to favour a few good trees over many poor ones.

In forestry, the cheapest operation is the one you do at the right time. The most expensive is the one you do twice because the first attempt failed.

July and August: summer limits and preparation

High summer can be excellent for extraction on dry, free-draining ground, but it punishes exposed soils, young trees and anyone who forgets water. Fire risk is real in some years, especially on heathland and conifer sites. Check local restrictions, keep fuel and machinery clean, and avoid hot exhaust near dry brash. If you are felling, remember that bats may still be roosting in trees and buildings; get a licensed ecologist's advice if you are unsure.

Use summer for survey and preparation rather than brute force. Walk the wood and record ash dieback, larch disease, Phytophthora, squirrel damage and deer browsing. Plan ride management, bracken control and invasive species work: treating rhododendron, Japanese knotweed or Himalayan balsam before they seed can save years of effort. Order bare-root stock early, as good nurseries sell out of native broadleaves long before winter.

September and October: autumn prep and early planting

Autumn is the bridge between growing season and dormancy. Once leaves turn and soil moisture returns, conditions become kind again. On mild sites, planting can begin in late October, especially with cell-grown stock or evergreens, but bare-root broadleaves are usually safer from November onwards. Prepare ground early: clear planting spots, mow strips, repair fences, and mark out rows or random patterns before the weather turns.

• Collect seed. Acorns, hazel nuts, rowan berries and alder cones can be collected from local provenance trees if you plan to grow your own.
• Mark thinnings. Paint crop trees and trees to remove while leaves are on, so you can judge crown size and form.
• Repair drains and tracks. Fix problems now, before winter traffic makes them worse.
• Check grants and licences. Confirm felling permissions, restocking conditions and any environmental impact assessments before work starts.

November and December: main planting and winter work

Once dormant, the main planting season begins in earnest. Bare-root trees go in from November through to March, whenever soil conditions allow. On heavy clay, wait for dry or frosty spells; on sand, you can often keep going through wet weather. Use brash mats on extraction routes, work from the back of the compartment, and keep machines off sensitive ground. Felling, thinning, coppicing and hedge laying all fit here, provided you have checked for bats, nesting birds and protected species.

Biosecurity matters more than ever. Clean boots, tools and machinery between sites to avoid spreading Phytophthora, ash dieback and other pests. Buy stock with plant passports from reputable nurseries, and keep records of provenance. If you are restocking after felling, match species to the site and the future climate: consider a mix of native broadleaves, suitable conifers and provenances that can handle hotter, drier summers and wetter winters.

Extra section: the rules that override the calendar

No month-by-month guide can replace site-specific judgement. Three things should always stop you: saturated or frozen ground that will be damaged, active nests or roosts protected by law, and machinery or felling that puts people at risk. Check felling licences, permissions, environmental designations and grant conditions before work begins. If in doubt, ask a forestry agent, ecologist or experienced local contractor. Their advice is usually cheaper than repairing a ruined soil structure or a legal problem.

Extra section: a simple monthly rhythm

1. Winter: plant, fell, thin, coppice, repair.
2. Spring: finish planting, weed, protect, survey.
3. Summer: maintain, monitor, prepare, avoid disturbance.
4. Autumn: plan, collect seed, mark trees, start planting.

The best woodland managers are not slaves to the

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