Maybe the UK should plant more....

[Phloem]

4 minutes ago, Big J said:

We have 30 hectares going in this year on two sites. Approximately 61 hectares on 6 sites next year. 

 

We're being fairly selective on sites, so generally low level, flat or nearly flat sites with euc species chosen according to the site conditions. Mostly nitens though.

Pretty interesting, sorry if I missed it in previous comments but what's it to be grown for? Fuel?

 

I briefly remember reading about a guy with an estate down in England who pretty much pioneered the planting of eucalyptus and it showed you round some of the plantations. It was in forestry journal, don't suppose that was the guy you're doing work for?

[Big J]

15 minutes ago, Phloem said:

Pretty interesting, sorry if I missed it in previous comments but what's it to be grown for? Fuel?

 

I briefly remember reading about a guy with an estate down in England who pretty much pioneered the planting of eucalyptus and it showed you round some of the plantations. It was in forestry journal, don't suppose that was the guy you're doing work for?

Fuelwood, sawlogs later on. Carbon sequestration. 

 

Not sure if it's the same guy. I've seen a couple of reasonably mature euc woodlands down here and lots more new plantations. We're lucky in the South West not to have severe frosts so it's ideal for eucalyptus.

[Mr. Ed]

My (Australian) wife reckons eucalypts are Australia’s revenge for the rabbit.  I don’t think Portugal thinks much of them any more ...

[Big J]

20 minutes ago, Mr. Ed said:

My (Australian) wife reckons eucalypts are Australia’s revenge for the rabbit.  I don’t think Portugal thinks much of them any more ...

Portugal doesn't have our biomass requirements. 

 

We import 80% of our timber, including biomass. KRE in Kent is extensively fueled by euc chip from New Zealand. We just need to grow more of our own. 

 

It's not to say that we don't need farmland, but a lot of farmland is managed to maximise grant funding, rather than production. I don't agree with that. 

 

They are just impressive, and it's quite nice to think that starting out in forestry, you could conceivably see 3 rotations of 120ft trees in your working life.

[Mr. Ed]

31 minutes ago, Big J said:

Portugal doesn't have our biomass requirements. 

 

We import 80% of our timber, including biomass. KRE in Kent is extensively fueled by euc chip from New Zealand. We just need to grow more of our own. 

 

It's not to say that we don't need farmland, but a lot of farmland is managed to maximise grant funding, rather than production. I don't agree with that. 

 

They are just impressive, and it's quite nice to think that starting out in forestry, you could conceivably see 3 rotations of 120ft trees in your working life.

As an outsider in (or at best an incomer to) this world, I'm beginning to realise that the biodiversity and environmental arguments for and against, say, a eucalyptus plantation, should be considered in the context of alternative land uses, which in the situation you're positing is grain or grass - neither of which are notably diverse when done commercially.

 

Gosh, that was clumsily put - forgive me. I'm the Henry James (famous for tortured syntax and yard long sentences) of the tree world.

[Big J]

4 minutes ago, Mr. Ed said:

As an outsider in (or at best an incomer to) this world, I'm beginning to realise that the biodiversity and environmental arguments for and against, say, a eucalyptus plantation, should be considered in the context of alternative land uses, which in the situation you're positing is grain or grass - neither of which are notably diverse when done commercially.

 

Gosh, that was clumsily put - forgive me. I'm the Henry James (famous for tortured syntax and yard long sentences) of the tree world.

I'm entirely in favour of unnecessarily obscure and esoteric language, so let me be the first to say welcome!!

 

The way I look at forestry is to compartmentalise. No one woodland will fulfill all criteria. You can't grow biomass effectively in an oak woodland, but it's hard to get high grade framing timber from eucalyptus. Biodiversity is important obviously, but the fields that we're planting are presently either arable or grassland, neither of which are adding much to biodiversity in the area, and I'd argue that even a eucalyptus plantation is an improvement.

 

Fundamentally, we just need more woodland. I'm still in favour of the expansion of ecologically diverse broadleaf woodlands, but that needs to be coupled with fast growing stands that supply our growing timber needs.

[Sutton]

20 minutes ago, Big J said:

... that supply our growing timber needs.

The nitens we put in had 1+cm annual growth rings. Scottish/Scandinavian timber is closer ringed so stronger.

So, from our tiny experience, nitens might not be structurally dependable.

Nitens, as a crop, will have other timber product applications as well as fuel despite this.

Something worth considering with the amenity/heritage PoV, UK climate has obviously changed growing conditions.

If the extended dry summers and warm/wet winters continue, then nitens will be one to watch

[Stere]

Is much willow for biomass still being planted or gone out of fashion now?

 

 

[Big J]

44 minutes ago, Sutton said:

The nitens we put in had 1+cm annual growth rings. Scottish/Scandinavian timber is closer ringed so stronger.

So, from our tiny experience, nitens might not be structurally dependable.

Nitens, as a crop, will have other timber product applications as well as fuel despite this.

Something worth considering with the amenity/heritage PoV, UK climate has obviously changed growing conditions.

If the extended dry summers and warm/wet winters continue, then nitens will be one to watch

The nitens we planted during April has handled the drought really well which is more than can be said for the conifers we've planted. It is indeed a climate change crop.

 

I did quite extensive measurements on a stand of 9.5yr old nitens last year and it had an average dbh of 24cm, height of 22-23m and yield class of 54. It was on good soil, but was fairly exposed and moisture availability could have been better. On one of our sites in particular, we're expecting much more rapid growth. The vertical growth was pretty stunted on this site due to wind exposure.

[Big J]

36 minutes ago, Stere said:

Is much willow for biomass still being planted or gone out of fashion now?

 

 

I think it's out of fashion now. Energy density isn't great and poor quality chip.