The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: oiseaux on February 10, 2009, 04:01:11 pm
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I live in Central France and have a field about 600 sq meters which I would like to plant with a quick growing tree for firewood. Can anyone advise on type or number / name. I am thinking willow and see there has already been a posting on this subject. There seems to be so much choice and contradicting opinion that I am reluctant to plunge in before I have a recommended name or species. Thank you in anticipation
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Here's a chart of firewood properties - willow doesn't rate highly:
http://www.aie.org.uk/aie_data/aie_firewood.html
Ash is generally rated the best firewood, and you can coppice it. In Africa, tea planters grow Eucalyptus as fuel for the tea dryers - it regenerates quickly if coppiced as well. I guess you need some local knowledge on the species that grow best in your locality.
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Hi,
It's not strictly scientific - more 'old wives tale' but I like this poem,
Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold.
Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But Ash green or Ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown.
Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But Ash wet or Ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.
But like all old wives tales there has to be some truth in it somewhere ! ;D
Hope that helps,
Karen ;)
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youve read my mind karen, i posted that one on a previous firewood query
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I've heard it too - I think it's a lovely poem. And I believe implicitly in 'old wives tales' - after all Mother knows best! ;D ;D ;D
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ash, oak and beech have always been much sought after for log burners. i think ash is by far the best to have a go at coppicing as it grows well and quickly almost anywhere. I know if i could have a magic wand i'd have an ash wood of my own. with a few oak, chestnut and fruit trees interspersed. with piggies free ranging. i have a few ash trees , but not enough to start felling them. I ask local treesurgeons to keep me on their list for any they have to fell.
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weve found fork lift pallets a good variety and they dont even need planting!!! ::) ::)
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I have a ready supply of them, from work. however they give off lots of smoke and the pitch in them sticks inside the flue. i tend to chop them up for kindling.they also make good temporary barriers, gates, pens etc
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ash is genreally regarded as the best stuff
willow would be ok if you allow it to season well, also, it grows so fast that you'll get more mass
you could plant some willow to get you going/tide you over while you are waiting for your ash to grow up a bit, then as the ash matures start to replace the willow.
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Here in the US there are native woods similar to those found in the UK and Europe. As I have said before one species, red maple grows pretty fast and can be coppiced. A nice hot fire of red maple is burning in my wood stove right now. You may wish to try some native Erable.
Althought North American oriented you may wish to visit http://www.woodheat.org/firewood/firewood.htm .
Here is a list from http://www.brittany-internet.com/BrittanyNews/PropertyNews/Heating/tabid/147/Default.aspx
French Wood English Wood Coefficient
Chene Oak 9.9
Frene Ash 9.2
Erable Maple 9.1
Bouleau Birch 8.9
Orme Elm 8.4
Hetre Beech 8.0
Saule Willow 7.1
Sapin Pine 7.0
Meleze Larch 6.6
Tilleul Lime 5.2
Peuplier Poplar 5.0