Would you bother with free willow?

[Big J]

I've been felling to waste quite a lot of willow this last week and was wondering whether it's worth extracting it for my own personal consumption? We burn about 3 cube a month December through to February and the prospect of about 20 - 30 odd cubic metres are quite tempting.

 

Just how good/bad is willow as a firewood? I have plenty of time and space to dry it out fully.

 

It ranges in size from 18 inches in diameter down to 2-3 inches. I wouldn't bother with stuff over a foot though due to drying time issues.

 

Jonathan

[Ben90]

Could you flog it to some larger farm shops or garden centres that can make hurdle fencing out of it?

[Andy Collins]

It will burn well dry, but I would only use it in woodburner as it spits sparks. I have a client who coppices his willow on rotation to keep his house in fuel for the winter months, and its all he burns.

[gensetsteve]

I did a similar thing 4 years ago. Willow is really heavy when green and like balsa when dry. Most of what I cut and seasoned went on the fire in the field. Willow sucks up alot of water which is why its often found next to rivers. I would not bother bringing free willow home.

[slack ma girdle]

there is nothing wrong with willow, just store it off the ground and out of the rain, with good air circulation.

[csservices]

Burns very hot when dry, but will burn quicker than most hardwoods, never had any problem with it spitting so long as its well dried

[raker]

I burn a lot of willow in my stove. Due mainly to the fact that i do all the treework at the gunclub i go to.Its `wet` ground ,crossed by numerous streams,grows like a weed.Nice and dry its great, but fast burning.Let it get wet and even large rounds will start to sprout.

[Johny Walker]

work it out, free or £40 a ton ,i do like the free bit ,then again im i proper tight git from yorkshire

[Big Bolt]

It's free !!!!! and it burns!!!!!

[Big J]

Thanks for the replies gents. I do have a further free supply of good ash, sycamore, cherry and elm, but I have to fell and process it on my own time. This lot is already cut to metre lengths (thinking ahead you see) and awaiting pickup.......

 

Only problem is the access track is pretty boggy and somewhat oneway, so there might be wheel barrowing involved.

 

There is a lot of it though.....

 

The funny thing is that the site it's left on is so boggy that come three years the willow coppice will be outstanding from all the sprouted logs!