Help info about softwood :)

[peatff]

I wouldn't class yew as a softwood

 

It's evergreen so it's softwood, deciduous would be hardwood. It's not up to you, it's the law As above, Balsa is hardwood and I find Poplar to be quite soft as well.

[kev7937]

It's evergreen so it's softwood, deciduous would be hardwood. It's not up to you, it's the law As above, Balsa is hardwood and I find Poplar to be quite soft as well.

 

Sorry but you may have your definition wrong there. Quercus ilex?

[arboriculturist]

I thought a conifer had to have cones.

 

A Yew is an evergreen conifer, which has cones.

[kev7937]

A Yew is an evergreen conifer, which has cones.

 

Where are these cones then ? Berrys and seeds yes, cones?

[niftysteve]

when i did a city and guilds in horticulture trees and shrubs we were taught

anything with a broad leaf =hardwood

and anything with needle like leaves =softwood

[arboriculturist]

Where are these cones then ? Berrys and seeds yes, cones?

 

Sorry, just wanted so how people reacted. As you say they do not have naked seeds within cones, but fleshy arils containing the seed. You probably know they are tasty also, but not the seed , which is full of nasty alkaloids, like Blackthorn.

 

Still an evergreen conifer though.

[Mountain man]

But alders have cones!!

Anyway let's forget about names, we all know what we're talking about.

Thing is will softwood ever be commercially viable as firewood in the UK.

If so would someone come and get a huge pile of the stuff from my yard. Poplar and willow included.

I don't do firewood but I suspect there is not a lot of margin, it's all about handling, if your dropping 20 percent or whatever, surely there's nothing in it after processing, storing, delivering etc.

[farmer_ben]

Burning pine and willow at the moment. The heat that my stove is creating is unreal. Might throw on an ugly piece of elm now and again to give it some body. My customers seem pretty happy if I convince them that a mixed load is the way to go.

 

I have been burning willow and pine for couple of weeks now and love the mix, once i have a lovely glowing bed on goes a bit of elm. lovely

[Stubby]

But alders have cones!!

 

 

Alders can have cones and catkins at he same time

[CJM]

It's evergreen so it's softwood, deciduous would be hardwood. It's not up to you, it's the law As above, Balsa is hardwood and I find Poplar to be quite soft as well.

 

Ah but I can find a flaw in your statement a holm oak is a hard wood but that isn't deciduous