Growing eucalyptus coppice for firewood

[Stere]

Theres a few places doing  plug plants

 

 

 

Eucalyptus plug plants | Crops for Energy

WWW.CROPS4ENERGY.CO.UK

---

We can supply plug plants of the following species: Eucalyptus coccifera (Snow peppermint, Tasmanian snow gum) This is a...

 

 

 

 Says here nitens doesn't coppice.

 

Eucalyptus

WWW.BIOMASSCONNECT.ORG

 

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Stere

[AHPP]

7 hours ago, sandspider said:

Interesting thought. The eucs grow much faster than native species, but coppicing success hasn't been great so far.

 

I've planted about 20 eucs out so far, though some only this month. Still have a few small ones in pots to put out somewhere. I've coppiced 5 now, but one only a week or so ago. Of the 4 coppiced last year, only 1 is still showing growth (and that's a bit brown towards the centre). Though all showed regrowth initially. As said, this may be due to my technique not the fault of the trees... I'm hoping the one I cut most recently will do better - I did coppice it later in the year after all frosts which is supposed to help. And I've not lost hope that one or two of the older ones may still come back.

 

I've coppiced one willow that was here when we moved in - it's a huge multi stemmed beast next to a stream and it just keeps on growing. Having said that, it's probably 20 years old, and still the coppice wood is mainly good for kindling and small logs, only a few bits as big as the smaller euc logs.

 

Put some gunnii in next to the newly planted ones and observe growth side by side? It's a reliable grower and coppicer in the UK.

[Paul in the woods]

@sandspider have any of your Eucs flowered? I've grown a packet of mixed hardy eucalyptus and was surprised to see many flower within a few years. We've not lost any to frost but they get their tops burnt off by the wind as we're exposed. They've grown ok for our soil and would probably do much better elsewhere, I've just no idea what varieties we've ended up with.

[sandspider]

9 hours ago, Stere said:

Theres a few places doing  plug plants

 

 

 

Eucalyptus plug plants | Crops for Energy

WWW.CROPS4ENERGY.CO.UK

---

We can supply plug plants of the following species: Eucalyptus coccifera (Snow peppermint, Tasmanian snow gum) This is a...

 

 

 

 Says here nitens doesn't coppice.

 

Eucalyptus

WWW.BIOMASSCONNECT.ORG

 

 

Interesting. I'm sure when I looked into it years ago, the consensus was it that nitens did coppice, or I'd have gone for something else. Think I rejected gunnii as too slow growing compared to nitens, but might plant a few out anyway.

[sandspider]

23 minutes ago, Paul in the woods said:

@sandspider have any of your Eucs flowered? I've grown a packet of mixed hardy eucalyptus and was surprised to see many flower within a few years. We've not lost any to frost but they get their tops burnt off by the wind as we're exposed. They've grown ok for our soil and would probably do much better elsewhere, I've just no idea what varieties we've ended up with.

Not that I've noticed, though the bigger ones have had little buds on them which may have become flowers in time. Tbh, I'm no longer completely sure which of mine are nitens and which are neglecta...

Where did you get your seed from?

[Paul in the woods]

My seed came from Chiltern Seeds, sadly they dont seem to have any mixed hardy seed but they stock a few others.

[sandspider]

Seems like most places are out of stock of E. gunnii plugs now, maybe I've left it too late. Next year perhaps...

[neiln]

I can't comment on growing them,  but I have burnt a fair bit of euc that I've split and dried myself.  I find it dried very readily in a season and burnt quite brightly. It lights easily and gives decent heat.  Yes it's not that dense but seemed denser than lime or willow.  I also found it split,  by hand,  very easily. It's a wood I'm happy to take if one of my contacts offers. 

My guess,  but just a guess,  E.gunnii.  not uncommon in urban gardens. 

[sandspider]

Euc is supposed to be hard to split when seasoned, but I've not found it too hard when I've had to split a while after felling. Maybe as I'm not splitting anything bigger than 20cm or so.

[Stubby]

4 hours ago, sandspider said:

Euc is supposed to be hard to split when seasoned, but I've not found it too hard when I've had to split a while after felling. Maybe as I'm not splitting anything bigger than 20cm or so.

Depends on age and species . It does go off like concrete if left too long before splitting and if its got that helical grain that some have its a machiene job only . Burnt quite a bit over the years and it is great fire wood , in a stove that is , as it pops and spits like a goodun .