Firewood - Hardwood / Softwood growth rates

[arboriculturist]

In an age of increasing scarcity of Hardwoods , would anyone care to comment on the average growth rates of Hardwood trees compared to Softwood ?

 

For example ' The average growth rate of a range of Softwoods is 75% higher than that of a range of Hardwood species.'

 

'Therefore if a given number of Hardwood trees weighs 100 tonnes after 15 years, the same number of Softwood trees would weigh 175 tonnes'

 

I think we need to be fighting the corner for the declining Hardwood population and doing all we can to promote Softwoods.

 

The end user who burns Logs needs to be convinced to accept at the very least a 50/50 mix of Softwood/ Hardwood.

[IanW]

I will happily burn softwood, I just close fire down a bit more than usual!

 

I'll even come and take away any softwood that people don't want.

 

Those that say 'oh I only burn hardwood' are daft in my opinion

 

Woods wood at the end of the day, yes I know hardwood is supposed to burn better etc but if softwood is cheap enough in comparison, what's the difference??

 

 

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[Peasgood]

It's not very often I burn hardwood, mostly because I haven't got any!

I do have abundant softwood (leylandii) and all heating,DHW and cooking in a 6 bed house.

 

I also have a 10 acre plot of mature Larch that whenever I look into having it felled the best offer I ever get is we will fell it as long as we can have the wood for free. What's that all about?

[ash_smith123]

We have been pushing mixed loads for a few years now and its going down well.

The key is to have dry softwood. I have done a lot of experimenting and if softwood is 25/30% moisture it just doesnt burn properly. 15% is perfect and we get ours down to 0% in the kiln in 3 days.

Its cheaper, easier to process and quicker to dry. A no brainer for us to push it

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Would happily never touch hardwood again - in any part of the process; planting it, thinning it, felling it, harvesting it, forwarding it, seasoning it, logging it... hard on you, hard on the gear.

[se7enthdevil]

there are some hard woods that grow fairly fast to be fair.

 

whats the average growth ring in a softwood tree?

 

i don't know what it's like on the fire but ailanthus i've seen at 1/2"+ per ring.

 

hornbeam springs up fast round here too, and walnut.

[County 764]

We planted some cell grown improved Birch at the start of the year and some of that is now over 2 foot, still in its first season. Its establishing far faster than the Sitka and don't have to worry about pine weevil.

Its a 1ha experimental site with predominately spruce but quite a bit of intermittent birch and also rows of birch to.

Looking to produce productive hardwood that can be harvested mechanically

[devon TWiG]

A typical load of hardwood logs will last longer and provide more heat than the same volume of softwood .... however softwood might be cheaper but by how much ? Does it cost much less to fell , extract transport and process and deliver to make it the same / similar value ? Eucalyptus is a fast growing hard wood that burns well , and remember seeing trials with Nothofagus but not sure what conclusions were .

[arboriculturist]

Dead right - Hard on the gear !!!

[arboriculturist]

Would happily never touch hardwood again - in any part of the process; planting it, thinning it, felling it, harvesting it, forwarding it, seasoning it, logging it... hard on you, hard on the gear.

 

Dead right - hard on everything and everyone !