Is anyone burning wood they planted themselves?

[Aicchalmers]

Had a few willows in the garden that I cut back every couple of years, makes good pea sticks and the next year good fuel for the rocket stove

Anybody got any good biomass willow cuttings to swap for vegetable seeds or other suggestions?

[Lucan]

Burning wood that I have previously coppiced, no need to burn trees that I have planted as my old man and his planted enough trees for a couple of lifetimes.

[spandit]

From what I can tell, only one or two people are actually burning wood they've planted themselves. Coppicing trees someone else planted isn't what I asked (admirable though it may be). I have willows that I can coppice but I didn't plant them myself.

[GreenGui]

From what I can tell, only one or two people are actually burning wood they've planted themselves. Coppicing trees someone else planted isn't what I asked (admirable though it may be). I have willows that I can coppice but I didn't plant them myself.

 

TBH that does not surprise me. I think most people that plant trees get the urge to do so in their middle age which means that apart from SRC we will not see the true potential of what we have planted.

[spandit]

TBH that does not surprise me. I think most people that plant trees get the urge to do so in their middle age which means that apart from SRC we will not see the true potential of what we have planted.

 

Doesn't surprise me too much either, if I'm honest. Just reading the hyperbole from sellers of hybrid willow and poplar SRC would make it seem that it's really quick. Funnily enough, I didn't order any willow or poplar when I planted my woodland, although the former would do well on my wet soil. I think it was because it's so easy to propagate I thought I'd be able to get it free (and have grown some osier from cuttings). Have some almond willow arriving imminently but that's more for basket weaving

[wrsni]

I think most people that plant trees get the urge to do so in their middle age which means that apart from SRC we will not see the true potential of what we have planted.

 

Can't argue with that, pretty much fits me to a tee!

 

Assuming early fifties is still "middle-age" that is.

[woodyguy]

Short rotation coppice with poplar is really quick. Logs within 4 years is no exaggeration. Problem is it aint pretty. Our ideas of traditional managed woods is very different to close planted poplar. I've done it on a small waste area with poor soil. They grow prodigiously and will supply a healthy fraction of my logs but I certainly wouldn't wish to do 2 acres (to be self sufficient in logs). I am burning some paulownia today I planted as coppice but weird wood that burns very very fast.

[spandit]

Only 2 acres for self sufficiency? Maybe I'll have to get some. I estimate I've planted about 2 acres of my 10, maybe more. Difficult to tell, even from the aerial photography I had done. It's over 1,500 trees but not all of them fast growing but we have some leylandii coming down soon and I'm sure I'll be able to pick up more from somewhere. If things get really desperate I might even have to start buying wood

[woodyguy]

Don't buy wood, that really hurts!

You should be looking at 6-8 dry tonnes per year of poplar from your 2 acres. That's about what I use in a cold winter so would do for me. You would however have to plant it well and keep it weed free. You'd need about 6000 to plant though rather than 1500.

[spandit]

I'm hoping it won't come to that! Might look into some poplar as diversity will always help but planting 6000 is not going to happen any time soon!