Firewood armegeddan

[rizo86]

the guy i was working for today told me his son is on a big job clearing large old oaks to make way for a new road, shame enough in itself, however its all being chipped as that is the highest value for it apparently?...

[Chopper H]

Re opening the UK coal mines is a great idea 1000's of tonnes under our feet despite what Maggie had the country believing. Though simplistic would more extensive coppicing be the answer to demand? Doing this on a 3-5 year rotation should give sufficient diameter logs for the consumer and leave the woodland owners a continuous supply of product without the need for continual replanting or am I being too nieve?

[farmer rod]

Re opening the UK coal mines is a great idea 1000's of tonnes under our feet despite what Maggie had the country believing. Though simplistic would more extensive coppicing be the answer to demand? Doing this on a 3-5 year rotation should give sufficient diameter logs for the consumer and leave the woodland owners a continuous supply of product without the need for continual replanting or am I being too nieve?

 

I think you are spot on. There are endless shaws and gills that have been coppiced over the years for firewood and the occasional standard left for a sawlog (but have been abandoned in the last 60 years). In the current economic climate the wood is just too hard to get, or too small in quantity, (or not straight enough for the processor boys:001_smile:) but its wood and there is tonnes of it. Cut it and it miraculously reappears 15 years later.

 

A fair amount of the criticism of the woodchip job misses the point. If the dross has some sort of market value, then the value of decent timber can be better realised because the whole woodland job becomes worthwhile.

[forestry]

Quote:

 

 

Originally Posted by forestgough View Post

 

Maybe if or when farmers lose their grants and subsidies they will be keener to manage the woods for firewood.But then they will probably clearfell it all for greed.

 

Do i detect a chip on the shoulder

FJMatt is offline Report Post

 

Nearly all new forestry planting is subsidised so why take a pop at farmers ?

[Marko]

I supply plenty of stove owners with a bulk bag a year, if that.

For a few, obviously, it's just a 'show' thing.

Either that, or it takes them a year to burn my piss-wet poplar/willow mix....

 

 

Having just come in from planting Alder (for the record and as a farmer... on my own land and without any grant) this thread pops up. Arisings will always occur but I noted them getting more and more scarce to come to the 'open market'. They are grabbed very quickly at the source so I decided we needed to have our own fuel source. I got sick of waiting to find any existing local woodland to come to market and so bought arable land with a view to slowly planting it up. I just wish I had done it sooner.

 

It is hard work planting every year but it was rewarding to have our first meaningful 'harvest' this winter (mainly a tidying up of 8 yr old silver birch and hazel). Only another 300 plants to (quickly!) get in this year!

[farmer rod]

 

Only another 300 plants to (quickly!) get in this year!

 

Youve probably got a day or two before its too dry for them ta take:001_smile:

 

Is it particularly wet ground, or rather, why did you choose alder? Thanks

[Marko]

I hope to have them all in by Saturday. I bit off a little bit more than I could chew this year.

 

We have trialled quite a few species on this black moss ground and alder is out performing SRC willow and hybrid poplar (which was not what I had expected). Sycamore and oak are also doing well so I will replace any fails with a mix. We did set off with ash in the mix but....

[forestgough]

Hi marko

what your doing sounds like the way forward,fancy sharing some facts and figure about the venture,with us.

[wrsni]

Well carrying on with this theme,yesterday a local farmer had a massive 360 just pull over and rip up a line of mature ash trees and semi mature ones,then dug roots out.Looked like a ww1 photo.

Piled up the lot into a massive heap ready for burning,today have been levelling to standard of a billiard table.

No dieback,no rot,just few hundred tons of bonfire material.

One tree in this line had gone over in gales and i asked him a fortnight ago if he wanted it cleared up and ide pay him for the timber,he simply said 'no' and walked away from me.

That went on the heap too.

 

May his next bowel movement have the texture of a hedgehog!

[oldwoodcutter]

May his next bowel movement have the texture of a hedgehog!

 

And then some.